The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Clare first meets Henry when she is 6 and he is 36.  But Henry is no normal man, and due to his chrono-displacement condition (in short, he involuntarily time-travels), he is able to marry Clare when he is 30 and she is 22.

Their love is enduring and strong, but due to Henry’s disappearances to other times – which he is unable to control – it means that they have to adjust to a life where Clare often doesn’t know where, or even when, Henry is.

Their life together is therefore sometimes difficult but (nearly) always wonderful.  Henry has met Clare when she was a little girl and has effectively watched her grow up while all the time knowing that they will fall in love and marry.  However, while Clare can remember these meetings, Henry (when he is in ‘real’ time) can’t remember them, because they involve time traveling expeditions that haven’t happened yet – even though in one way they have already happened.

Sounds confusing, but it isn’t.  Audrey Niffenegger makes this story ebb and flow beautifully, and it is always easy for the reader (if not the characters) to understand what is happening.

I loved the character of Henry.  Rather than making him a tragic yet supremely heroic man, he is portrayed as a man who through necessity, often indulges in theft, burglary and violence (the first two out of necessity – wherever Henry travels to, he always arrives naked and without provisions; and the third in self defence when he has arrived somewhere in said naked state).  This serves to make him more believable.  Clare was somewhat less of a fully rounded character, but she was certainly realistic enough to be believable, and for the reader to care about.

Where Audrey Niffenegger has really triumphed though, is in making an outlandish plot seem credible.  I absolutely do not believe in time travel, and yet for the duration of this book, I found myself totally buying into the concept.  It helps that other characters in the book are as amazed by Henry’s predicament as you would expect anybody to be.

This is an original and compelling love story, between two characters who I really found myself rooting for.  But it’s not all hearts and flowers.  Clare and Henry suffer a lot of pain and heartbreak during their life, but while their time together is unpredictable and inconstant, their love certainly isn’t.  I will be nagging friends to read this book, and will certainly be reading it again myself in the future.

The Gates by John Connolly

The Gates

A strange novel for strange young people.

Young Samuel Johnson and his dachshund Boswell are trying to show initiative by trick-or-treating a full three days before Hallowe’en. Which is how they come to witness strange goings-on at 666 Crowley Avenue.

The Abernathys don’t mean any harm by their flirtation with Satanism. But it just happens to coincide with a malfunction in the Large Hadron Collider that creates a gap in the universe. A gap in which there is a pair of enormous gates. The gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying beings just itching to get out . . .

Can Samuel persuade anyone to take this seriously? Can he harness the power of science to save the world as we know it?

John Connolly is well known for his crime books, and probably even more well known for his fantasy novel, The Book Of Lost Things. In The Gates, John has stayed with fantasy, but this time he’s aiming his book at a younger audience. However, as with all the great YA books, this one will have the adults fighting to read it too.

The first thing to say about this book is that it’s very funny. It’s a fun book to read, which actually managed to make me laugh out loud at times – great escapism on dull days! There’s enough humour for the younger readers to enjoy, and yet it’s not overdone, and therefore off putting for adults.

The characters are fantastic – Samuel is a young lad dealing with his father leaving, whilst also dealing with the small matter of a town over run with demons, and the gates of hell opening. The demons themselves are sometimes scary, but often rather dim, and some even discover a taste for beer! The highlight for me was Nurd – a demon who deserves a book all of his own.

This is going to appeal to many fans of children’s fantasy, but especially those who enjoyed Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus. The pace of the book is fast, and the length is probably perfect for younger readers. My only complaint, however, is that it was a little too short for me.. but then I could have kept reading for a very long time.

Highly recommended, this book is published on 1st Oct.

Buy at Amazon.co.uk

The Dangerous Book of Heroes by Conn Iggulden and David Iggulden

From the co-author of the bestselling ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys’, this is a book of heroes, new and old, known and sadly forgotten, now to be glorified as they ought to be. From Captain Scott to Joe Simpson, from Douglas Bader to Ernest Shackleton, from Gertrude Bell to Emily Pankhurst, Conn Iggulden brings our great heroes from history back to life. Filled with the British sense of fair play and decency that made ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys’ so popular, ‘The Dangerous Book of Heroes’ celebrates those who fought for what is right and good, those who made amazing discoveries, those who moved boundaries in their lifetimes.

There are a few non fiction books which I remember from my childhood – or at least I remember snippets of them. These are generally books which lived at my nan’s house, and got picked up whenever I stayed. It’s quite easy to imagine this book falling into the same category for future grown ups!

It’s split into nice chunks, with each hero (or group of heroes) having their own chapter. It’s a great way to get little snippets of history, especially as it’s presented in such a positive way. Hopefully it will even encourage the readers to go out and find out more about the events and the people.

Of course, it’s not only for the young – anyone interested in finding out a little more about the people behind our history, it’s a good book to dip into.

I haven’t read any of the other ‘Dangerous’ books, so I can’t tell how it fits – but I may well now take a look.

A Note From An Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker

Two years ago, Brian Weller’s son was killed in an accident, and his wife was left in a coma. As a well known writer, he is unable to produce his next book, and his life feels in despair.

One morning he receives an email from Joanna, a lover from his past. As their past is hinted at, he arranges to meet her during a book tour.

We are then taken back to their past, and the majority of the book tells their story, how they fell in love, and how he had to leave her. Then, there is a jump back to the present, when they meet up, and rekindle their affair.

I enjoyed Bill’s characters, including the rather unpleasant Erik, Joanna’s husband. It’s actually easy to understand how he felt, with the threat of losing his wife for the second time. However, I felt that there was more potential in his character, and I was expecting the ending to be more suspenseful.

This is quite a gentle love story, but it feels as if there is more to tell – Brian’s wife plays a much smaller part in the story than I expected, and I would have liked to have known more about their relationship. I also sensed a missed opportunity for the suspense angle. However, the characters do manage to make this a very readable book.

The Cloths of Heaven by Sue Eckstein

Synopsis from Myriad Publishers:

West Africa in the early 1990s. Isabel Redmond is tiring of her iconoclastic husband’s penchant for pendulous black breasts; the High Commissioner and his wife Fenella are both enjoying illicit affairs; an old English judge is wandering through the scrub following a tribe of Fulani herdsmen; Bob Newpin is about to make a killing in timeshares; and just what Father Seamus is up to is anyone’s guess.

Enter new diplomat Daniel Maddison on his first posting abroad. Rebelling against the endless rounds of cocktail parties, golf and gossip, he finds himself drawn to people and places that lie way beyond the experience of his High Commission colleagues – and specifically to the dusty warehouse in the heart of the city where a thin white woman is silently measuring out lengths of brightly coloured cloth.

In this assured début about loneliness and passion in Africa, Sue Eckstein enthrals with a deliciously intricate plot, compelling characters and razor-sharp dialogue.

Eckstein, in her début novel, transports us to life in West Africa in the 1990s. We meet Daniel, who is experiencing his first international posting as a British diplomat. But life is more play than work. There are plenty of parties, many affairs, mysterious women and an entrepreneur who wants to build time shares in the “real Africa”. This is not the life he expected when he was posted here. This is life that is full of gossip and racism, not politics.

This was an interesting novel that I enjoyed. It looks at life in West Africa for the British diplomats out there. There is an eclectic group of people to learn about – in fact one of the problems I found with this book were the sheer number of characters. I found myself forgetting who some people were as I read the book. However, there were a few I liked. Such as Isobel, a lovely lady with a husband with a slightly disturbing hobby; Daniel, who seemed to genuinely care for people – he seemed like someone you would want to have around; and Father Seamus, who just made me chuckle as he went around in shirts with the Pope on.

Eckstein states in the back of the book that this is purely fictional, and that is how I read this book. As I was not concerned about how accurate the story and events were I was not disappointed with the novel. It is a bit disjointed but there is one main storyline, in which Daniel investigates the mysterious Rachel, with which every storyline eventually links up with. Each character and their part of the unfolding story is explored, giving the book greater depth.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and it did not take me long to read it. I found myself wanting to know what happened, and although there were aspects of the book I didn’t like they didn’t completely spoil the book. This is a good debut novel.

8/10

Inkdeath. – Cornelia Funke.

Synoposis.

Life in the Inkworld has been far from easy since the extraordinary events of Inkspell, when the story of Inkheart magically drew Meggie, Mo and Dustfinger back into its pages.

With Dustfinger dead, and the evil Adderhead now in control, the story in which they are all caught has taken an unhappy turn. As winter comes, there is reason to hope – but only if Meggie and Mo can rewrite the wrongs of the past and make a dangerous deal with death..

Review.

Okay I promised myself that I’d read this finale to the series with an open mind, for several reasons. For a start I’d already heard from others that this novel was a bit of a let down in the terms of the fact that the others, Inkheart and Inkspell were so much better. Also I didn’t expect that there could be a good ending to such a fantastic series. This being said, however, if we didn’t attempt to read books just because we heard a couple of bad reviews from others, then surely nobody would ever read? It turns out that I had absolutely no reason to be worried.

From the first page I was drawn back into Cornelia Funke’s world of words and magic, once again.

Dutsfinger is dead, but Farid isn’t ready to say goodbye. He and Meggie turn to Orpheus, a man who has the words and the power to bring him back from the dead. However, Orpheus does nothing for free and we soon find that he has greedy, power-hungry intentions. He’ll do anything, including going against his promise to bring Dustfinger back.

Three months have passed since Meggie and her parents arrived in the Inkworld and it hasn’t been an easy journey. They’ve lived amongst a band of robbers – led by the Black Prince and his giant bear – who are always on the move. They’re trying to stay one step ahead of the Adderhead’s bloodthirsty soldiers who hunt Mo, day in day out.

Everyone mistakes Mo for the Bluejay, a fictional character created by Fengolio, who according to the stories, shares the same characteristics as Mo. But lately, Resa – Mo’s wife – has been noticing a change in Mo. He is becoming the Bluejay, heart and soul, acting recklessly and fearlessly just to play the part of the hero. Resa desperately wants to leave the Inkworld before he dies.. Or forgets who he is.

Months ago, Mo bound a book for the Adderhea that would make him immortal. But now the book is falling apart, and so is the Adderhead. He’s sick and weak, and terrified of death. So he sent his soldiers to capture Mo and force him to bind a new book.. Can Mo find a way to stop the Adderhead and more importantly, save himself?

In this finale full of suspense, action and love, we see the story draw to a conclusion. The final words are being woven in and amongst the pages, but where will the path end..

9/10.

Marshmallows for Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson

Synopsis from Amazon:

When Kendra Tamale returns to England from Australia she rents a room from Kyle, a divorced father of two, and begins a new job. She’s looking forward to a fresh start and simple life. Kyle’s five-year-old twins, Summer and Jaxon, have other ideas and quickly adopt Kendra as their new mother – mainly because she lets them eat marshmallows for breakfast. Kendra eventually becomes a part of their lives, even though she’s hiding a painful secret that makes her keep everyone – especially children – at arm’s length. Then Kendra bumps into the man who shares her awful secret, and things fall apart: she can’t sleep, she can’t eat, she’s suspended from work, and the kids are taken away by their mother. The only way to fix things is to confess to the terrible mistake she made all those years ago. But that’s something she swore never to do …

This is a truly beautiful book which touched a whole range of emotions. This is chick-lit, but with hard issues that add amazing depth to this book. Kendra is good at running away. Something bad happened to her when she was twenty. It changed her. She became someone who didn’t really feel, she became jumpy and she locked away her feelings. When a chance to leave England arose, she leapt at the chance, and off to Australia she went. But she fell in love over there, with someone who she couldn’t have. So she returned to England when she could, and move into the studio in the Gadsborough’s back garden. She has the shock of her life when she wakes up on the first morning to see Summer and Jaxon, six year old twins standing in her flat. She soon grows attached to them, as she realises their life is falling apart because their parents are getting a divorce. For someone who wanted to keep away from children, she quickly becomes their “other mumma”, and can’t live without them. So when their mum kidnaps them she is distraught. alongside that, she has to face up to what happened to her when she was young, and the reason why she left Australia.

There is so much addressed in this book. Ashlyn, the twins mother is an alcoholic, there is attempted suicide, rape and divorce. Brave issues to tackle in a novel, but Koomson handled all of them well, and she brought believable and realistic conclusions to each issue. She dedicates sections and memories to each issue and storyline so they are thoroughly examined. This in effect means Koomson can look into these issues properly, but it also allows the characters to develop in their own right.

I loved the characters, and Koomson writes in such a way that I was completely in tune with them. When the twins were upset or scared my heart broke for them; when they went missing I felt Kendra’s pain and anguish – this is just a well written novel. I loved the twins. They were easily my favourite characters. They were so vulnerable and so easy to love. They were just gorgeous children.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a gripping book that I didn’t want to put down. Well worth reading even if chick-lit is not a genre you usually enjoy.

9/10

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

Synopsis from Amazon:

THE SHOW MUST GO ON, AS MURDER, MUSIC AND MAYHEM RUN RIOT IN THE NIGHT…

The Opera House, Ankh-Morpork…a huge, rambling building, where innocent young sopranos are lured to their destiny by a strangely-familiar evil mastermind in a hideously-deformed evening dress…

At least, he hopes so. But Granny Weatherwax, Discworld’s most famous witch, is in the audience. And she doesn’t hold with that sort of thing.

So there’s going to be trouble (but nevertheless a good evening’s entertainment with murders you can really hum…)

This is book 18 in the Discworld Series, and one of my favourites. This is Terry Pratchett’s take on The Phantom of the Opera. Now I love that musical, and this book just added to my love. I willdefinitely watch it in a completely different light now.

This is a Witches novel, and sees Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg travelling to Ankh-Morpork to see an opera. Yet there are strange goings-on in the opera house. There are a series of murders and money disappearing out the window. It seems that there is an Opera Ghost, who likes to leave notes that just say: “Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha!!!!!” The fear is rife in the opera, but the show must go on. So Granny sets herself up to investigate, while the show goes on, and unmasks the Opera Ghost.

This is classic Pratchett. I love the Witches novels. Both Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax are hilarious. This is a very funny take on The Phantom of the Opera – mainly mocking the idea that a small mask that only covers the eyes would hide someones identity. Death features in this book as well, and he is probably my favourite character. Pretty much all he says is funny, and I enjoyed his game of poker with Granny.

Pratchett yet again transported me to Ankh-Morpork and incorporated some of the funniest characters in this adventure. Of course it is unrealistic, but it is an amazing fantasy novel. I have no complaints and as ever, I am eager for the next Pratchett book. This is a great series, full of adventure, humour and amazing characters. I highly recommend this novel. It is very, very good.

10/10

Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

Title: Cleopatra’s Daughter
Author: Michelle Moran
ISBN: 978-0-307-40912-6

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Following Cleopatra and Marc Antony’s deaths, their three children – twins named Alexander and Selene plus a younger son named Ptolemy – are exiled from Egypt and sent to Rome in chains to be raised in one of the most fascinating (and dangerous) courts of all time. Cleopatra’s Daughter is the remarkable true story of what happens to these three surviving children as seen through the eyes of Selene. Their adaptation to Roman culture, their treatment as both a curiosity and a threat, and Selene’s perilous journey to adulthood, are all chronicled in the elegant detail and gripping pace for which Michelle Moran is celebrated.

Review:
I’ve always been a fan of historical novels set in ancient Rome, but seldom have I enjoyed one as much as this. From start to finish, this meticulously researched novel is filled to the brim with characters and settings so richly depicted that one could almost believe one was right there experiencing the action with the narrator, Kleopatra Selene (known as Selene), daughter of possibly the most famous female ruler in history.

There is a real sense of danger and intrigue throughout the plot that kept me on the edge of the seat and made it very difficult for me to put down the book in between reading sessions – I always found myself, while doing other things, wondering about the characters and what could possibly happen next. And I was kept guessing – the mystery of The Red Eagle; the romantic feelings of Selene and also of her brother, Alexander Helios; there was always something happening that had me gagging to find out more!

The sights, smells, tastes, fashions, architecture and social strata of ancient Rome are laid out like a feast for the senses and I truly felt I was devouring this novel which, when finished, felt incredibly satisfying and complete, yet had me hankering after further research into the characters and their circumstances on my own part. After doing so, and discovering just how much of the story is based on historical fact, I am even more impressed.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, this is a must-have addition to your personal library – get it, read it, love it, then go out and get hold of anything else you can find by the author!

Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

The Devil comes to Stalinist Moscow, with his band of associates, consisting of a mischievous assistant and a feisty black tom cat.  It is not long before people are dying, disappearing and ending up in institutions for the mentally ill.  Margarita is a Moscow citizen who is searching for her lover ‘the Master’, who has disappeared in Moscow after being depressed.  But in order to find the only person who matters in her life, she will have to deal with dark forces who are much stronger than she is.  Interwoven into the story is the tale of Pontius Pilate, who is the subject of a novel which the Master has written.  However, the rejection of his novel by publishers led to his misery and despondency with his life.

I enjoyed this novel a lot, and I can understand why it is hailed as a masterpiece.  The Devil (who here is called Woland), and his companions Koroviev, Behemoth, Hella and Azazello are extremely colourful characters and Koroviev and Behemoth (the tom cat) provide much in the way of laughs during the story.  Margarita is also a beautifully drawn character, trapped in a unhappy marriage, while pining for her one true love.

I liked the way that events would take a sudden and totally unexpected turn, sending the reader down an entirely different road than the one which they started out on.  There is almost a carnival atmosphere surrounding the actions of the perpetrators, and it’s hard not to to be entertained by them (some of the scenes involving Behemoth made me laugh out loud).

I honestly had no idea how the story would end, and when it came, the ending was a surprise, yet very fitting for the story which preceded it.

This book could be read on many levels; it can be read simply as a carnivalistic romp through a former time, or on a deeper level, where I compare the Master’s rejected novel to be a sort of parallel with much of the literature which was written and banned at the time (Bulgakov himself had his work frowned on by the authorities).  Either way, there is much to enjoy here, and this is a book that I can well imagine re-reading at some point in the future.