The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

"I don't know what  I expected, but I expected something"

Another hard fought tick of the 1001 books to read list down for the year and this one proved an initially difficult read. Engagement with the convoluted plot and diverse characters was particularly challenging, right up until the final few chapters.

Strangely enough, it was the ending which completely drew me in and made me re-evaluate my initially negative response to the text. The books is quite postmodern, a book within a book, challenging the divisions between the real and imagined.

It is the story of 15 year old Alma Singer that drew me in, one of a number of tales that appear completely independent save for their interaction with the book The History of Love. The mystery that surrounds the book and its authorship almost make it another character in of itself.

4 out of 5 books are full of love.

The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White

"Her witnesses must satisfy the most exacting taste - being British to the core."

Reading the novel that formed the basis of the Hitchcock classic was lots of fun. I'm currently re-watching the film to refresh my memory and there are a great deal of differences and yet some central similarities.

Warning: Spoilers lie ahead.

In the novel, there is quite a lot more back story with Iris and her scandalous friends. This is hinted at in the movie where she throws her money about, drinking champagne and tossing people out of their rooms in the hotel, but neglects the partner swapping and near naked hi jinks of the novel.

Miss Froy, while middle-aged, seems a lot younger in the novel and is not part of a spy ring, so as you can imagine, the central business of the story is changed significantly.Mind you, I absolutely love the Miss Froy of the movie - it is almost impossible to watch the film without loving her.

In the novel we learn to harbour a fear of the Doctor character far earlier on, with Miss Froy's tale about the wrongly diagnosed young woman trapped in the asylum.

The reason for the lady vanishing in the novel lies more in what Miss Froy is a witness to rather than humming a tune to relay information back to the Foreign Office as in Hitchcock's film.

Put simply, both works are great and I really enjoyed their differences. The novel reads more like a morality tale in some ways. Ignoring and treating fellow hotel guests with disdain leads to a lack of sympathy from them when Iris gets into trouble. All the passengers, particularly the 'newly-weds' (the adulterous couple whose story is more fleshed out in the novel) have their reasons to ignore Iris' pleas for help, wanting an uninterrupted return to England and thus put the life of Miss Froy in danger.

The movie to me, seems more about the growing love story that guides Iris' progress and I confess to enjoying the visually appealing couple in focus.

5 out of 5 train trips are never this eventful.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

“Drink­ing and dri­ving is the ab­solute worst, be­cause un­like doing coke in your base­ment while you teach your­self gui­tar, you could kill some­one else”

I didn’t expect to enjoy this even more than her comedy counterpart’s recent book BossyPants, but I did. Amy seems like the kind of crazy I’d enjoy hanging out with.

Amy is self deprecatory, effusive in her praise for her friends and colleagues and of course, down right funny. The photographs and mementoes included are destined to bring a smile to your face. I loved the the time travelling swim suit too.

The section on the mobile phone reminds me so much of myself, that and the reaction to the Haitian chauffeur.

My first book read for 2015 and what a positive start to the year! Perhaps I should have had writing more insightful reviews as my resolution, but who keeps those anyway.

5 out of 5, yes I’ll have what she’s having.

The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde

"The King and Queen had told me she needed educating, and a fact-finding mission to the wildly unpredictable Cambrian Empire might be just the thing"

The third instalment of the Last Dragonslayer series is, put simply, great fun. I love Fforde's zany tales, and Jennifer Strange is such an endearing character. 

Throw in a dangerous quest ( is it a quest, well it sort of is a quest, but unofficially) in a treacherous land, with a ten year old tour guide, a trainee wizard and a disguised princess of Snood ( that disguise isn't fooling anyone).

Off to find the Eye of Zoltar, will Kazam's acting head triumph or fall victim, the statistics don't look good. Chock full of giggles and unlikely adventures this will keep your inner child entertained.


5 out of 5 plastic dragons make good pool toys.

Funny Girl by Nick Hornby

"Being at the top of your ca­reer was like being at the top of a Fer­ris wheel: you knew that you had to keep mov­ing, and you knew which way you were going."

This delightful tale from Mr Hornby sees former beauty pageant contestant, Barbara from Blackpool, discover a successful sitcom career in the 1960s.
It is a snappy and entertaining read, framed in a non-fiction style, complete with photography of actual events that are incorporated into the story to give a sense of the period.
I don't want to spoil this one for you. 

5 out of 5 bathing beauties make it big.

The Return of The Soldier by Rebecca West

" So Kitty lay about like a broken doll, face downward on a sofa, with one limp arm dangling to the floor, or protruding stiff feet in fantastic slippers from the end of her curtained bed; and I tried to make my permanent wear that mood which had mitigated the end of my journey with Margaret "

A harrowing look at the after effects of war that is brilliantly rendered. You can really feel the emotions here giving a sense of the contemporary to a book that was published in 1918.

Before PTSD was a commonly known phenomenon, particularly in relation to the horrors of war, this gives an insight into the impact on the loved ones waiting at home for their returning warriors.

The narrator, is the cousin of the returning soldier, who sees first hand the outcome of the return of her shell shocked cousin, Chris, from the battlefield on his family. Kitty, Chris' wife, has struggled with stoicism through the lack of communication from the front and is initially incredulous that her loving husband can no longer remember she exists.

Beautifully written and moving, it is amazing that so much emotion can be derived from such a short story that still retains its resonance today.

 5 out of 5

Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton

"Ed­ward nod­ded, smil­ing his Ted smile, as he tipped his hat back from his fore­head, his P90 pointed one-handed at the ground."

I felt like diving back into Anita Blake territory and frankly I think this one was an improvement. I enjoy her adventures with Edward, its amusing that the one truly sex-free relationship she has with a man in some ways seems the most intimate.

Yet another serial killer ( goodness there are a lot in her life) brings the crime solving duo. Oh look, its that nasty Harlequin, shady killer organisation again. They are pesky!
Taking on Mammie Noir, Anita is in fine form and her latest addition to the throng of men in her thrall, the rather tasty Ethan, is a great additional tiger.



3 out of 5 bad vamps get sucked dry.