Mount TBR 2019 discussion

I'm sticking with Kilimanjaro again this time (I managed to scale it on my first attempt last year) since my overall goal is less than last year. May up it if I manage to get up there early.

#1 Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy of this book.

Shadow of the Fox is a Japanese-inspired fantasy–adventure, and the first of a trilogy by author Julie Kagawa. This is the first of her books that I’ve read. In the book we meet Yumeko, a half yokai (magical beings who can shapeshift and assume human shape) who is sixteen and has been brought up at the Silent Winds Temple where most of the monks try to teach her to ignore her kitsune or fox-self, which includes the magic she can perform and act human. When the temple is attacked by a demon creature (an oni, Yaburama) and his minions, she finds out about a prophecy that it is she who would protect the part of the dragon scroll that the temple has had in its safe-keeping for many years. She is to carry the scroll to the other temple, Steel Feather, where another part of it is hidden but she doesn’t know where that temple is. Just as she is escaping from the temple, she meets, Kage Tatsumi. Just slightly older than her, he belongs to the shadow clan and is a ruthless assassin of creatures of all kind, and does only as his clan requires him to do, no questions, no feelings. Tatsumi has been sent by his clan head to recover the scroll. Naturally Yumeko can’t tell him she is the bearer but manages to secure his help to escort her to find the location of the Steel Feather Temple (where Tatsumi too hopes to recover the pissing scroll and complete his mission). Like Yumeko, Tatsumi also has a secret, as bearer of the powerful sword Kamigoroshi (one that can do away with any kind of creature), he is also a vessel for a demon Hakaimono, who he keeps under control by not allowing himself to feel any emotion. And so begins their adventure. On the way to the capital city, Kin Heigen Toshi, where they hope to find out where the Steel Feather Temple is, they are attacked by all variety of creatures, demons and monsters and have a powerful blood mage on their trail. There’s also a “side-quest” or two, and they are joined by a ronin, Okame, and a noble Taiyo Daisuke, who become part of their motley group.

This book was so much fun, I really loved it. The book managed to have a light-hearted adventure feel and tone despite all the monsters and bloodshed. In fact, much of it had a humorous undertone which was very good fun. I also enjoyed the folklore elements (some of these, Yokai included, I’d come across in the one other Japanese-inspired fantasy I’d read, Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean, and so was familiar with)—the different types of creatures one encounters, even the horrid ones.

Both the main characters Yumeko and Tatsumi are very likeable. Alternate chapters are in fact told from each of their perspectives (in first person), and one thing that stood out in this which I thought Kagawa had done really well is how Yumeko’s naivety and inexperience stands out in the Tatsumi chapters (from the eyes of another) while in her chapters, one doesn’t see this. (The author is also building up a romance but only the base has been laid so far). I also very much liked Okame and Daisuke. There are also a few chapters told in third person from the perspective of a young girl Suki, who comes to the imperial palace as maid to Lady Satomi, and whose story ends up taking some rather interesting turns as we go on. The only (very slight) complaint that I had was that in some (though only a few) instances, the dialogue felt a little modern coming from the time and setting in which the characters lived but it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

As far as the plot elements are concerned, there’s nothing really out of the ordinary, a prophecy, a quest, monsters, a journey, but the way it is done makes it very enjoyable and great fun. The ending was quite a surprise, had a couple of turns/twists(?) I didn’t see coming and made me wish I had the sequel right there in front of me to pick up and continue, but alas that couldn’t happen. I can’t wait for it to come out so I can continue with them on their journey! Five stars!

#2 Blissful Land Vol I by Ichimon Izumi
My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for a review copy of this one.

Blissful Land is a manga comic/graphic novel set in eighteenth-century Tibet, and it was this setting that essentially drew me to this book. This tells the story of Khang Zhipa, a thirteen-year-old “doctor-in-training”, who lives with his father, a doctor/farmer, his mother, also a farmer, and younger sister Pema. He is somewhat obsessed with the herbs that he collects, and prepares medicines to treat whoever is in trouble. He in fact dreams of helping not only his village but other villages around. When the story opens, he is returning home from another herb collecting excursion accompanied by his Yak and Sangay, his dog when he tries to help a farmer who’s been suffering exhaustion. They notice a party of travellers heading to their village, which is bringing a bride all dressed in her finery. When Khang arrives home, he is surprised to find the travellers there, and after a day or so, to find that the bride is in fact here to be married to him in due time, and will be staying with his family till then. The story is basically a very simple one with each chapter giving one a peek into the kind of life people in Khang’s position may have led every day, the things they did, the food they ate, and of course how Khang and his bride-to-be, Moshi Rati, get to know each other better, learn of each other’s interests, and importantly, learn to communicate with each other as time passes. This is of course only the first volume so the story stops part way.

This was a really pleasant and charming story—and a pretty quick read. Despite having nothing much in terms of plot, it is wonderful to see what life may have possibly been like in a small mountain village of Tibet of that time. I loved the artwork, which is really very beautiful--the buildings and the surrounding mountains, and especially the costumes of the characters—I wonder if the final product has coloured pages because that would really make it so much better (like the cover, which is gorgeous). I also really liked how the author incorporated information on the various herbs and plants that Khang used in his treatments, and also the time and effort the actual preparation of various medicines took. Also the way the characters are introduced to the reader is fun. There is also some additional information at the end about the names used, some customs, Yaks, and even a recipe for butter tea. This was overall very pleasant to read, though I would have liked if the story didn’t stop somewhat abruptly even though it has a second part. 3.75 stars.

Lady Clementina wrote: "#1 Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy of this book.

Shadow of the Fox is a Japanese-inspired fantasy–adventure, and the first of a trilogy by author..."I've never read anything by this author so far, although lots of friends love her other YA fantasy books, but your review interested me - I love mythology, especially not so famous ones, like Japanese, Indian and so on, so I might add this one to my wishlist (oops, here we go again with those shiny new distractions)

Natália wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "#1 Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy of this book.

Shadow of the Fox is a Japanese-inspired fantasy–adventure, and the firs..."

Good to hear that. This was a really enjoyable one. It's still on NetGalley (UK-not absolutely sure about the US) in case you're a member.

Lady Clementina wrote: "Natália wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "#1 Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy of this book.

Shadow of the Fox is a Japanese-inspired fantasy–adventu..."I am, I'm definitely checking this out then!

#3 Murder in Foggy Bottom by Margaret Truman
Margaret Truman’s Capital Crimes series has mysteries set in different Washington locations, giving readers a flavour of the place itself, and the power games always on in the Capital. This one, book 17 in the series, is set in Foggy Bottom. Once a swamp, this became a trendy area with the Watergate, and the Kennedy Center, among other things. In this book, a body is found in a park in the area, a victim of a stabbing. Joe Potamos, a Washington Post reporter we’ve “met” in one of her books before is assigned to the case, and feels this is more than just a random stabbing, and keeps pursuing it even against instructions to drop the investigation. Meanwhile three planes are shot down in different locations killing many innocents and sending chill waves through the country and the administration. Jessica Mumford, an employee of the State Department, and Max Pauling, who she is dating, and who is with the CIA are involved in the investigations at different levels, and we also see how different government and law enforcement departments respond to it. But these two events turn out to be connected: and it is these characters that identify the connection.

While I didn’t find myself immediately gripped by the book (even though it was very readable), after a third of the way in, I was really hooked and found myself reading on right to the end to see how things turn out. What was kind of unnerving about this one was that it was written in 2000 just a year before 9/11 and on a smaller scale deals with the same kind of situation, and the impact that it had on people in their daily lives. While there was a mystery in this one as always, it had somewhat more of a thriller vibe. What stood out more than the mystery itself was the politics and diplomacy, and how these are what take the forefront pretty much all the time. So the “truth” is sometimes never to surface and sometimes moulded to suit the demands of politics. I enjoyed meeting recurring characters from her books, Mac and Annabel Reed-Smith, who are very much present through the book, though they don’t have a role in the actual mystery, reporter Joe Potamos and his pianist girlfriend, Roseann, and also new to me characters Max Pauling and Jessica Mumford, who I think appear in other books as well. This was a fast-paced and gripping read. Very enjoyable.

#4 Murder at the Museum by Lena Jones
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Children’s for a review copy of this book.

Murder at the Museum is the second in the Agatha Oddly series of books, a children’s series. Agatha Oddlow is thirteen and a very busy thirteen-year-old indeed. She is a detective and has been one for as long as she can remember, and any time a mystery piques her interest, she simply has to look into it. She is a great fan of Agatha Christie, her namesake, and especially of Poirot. In this one, the case she works on is a murder at the British Museum—one of the staff members has been stabbed for no apparent reason, and the only artefact missing is one of little value. So robbery was obviously not the motive. Agatha also attends the prestigious St Regis school as a scholarship student, where her friends are Liam and Brianna, who also help with her investigations. It helps that Brianna has her own chemistry lab at home and can run various tests. [Brianna was a member of the “Chic Clique”, a typical popular girl, but is now friends with Liam and Agatha, with whom she can be herself.] And if that wasn’t enough for a thirteen-year-old, Agatha is also awaiting tests to become a member of the Gatekeepers Guild, a secret organisation that works to keep London (in fact the country) safe, and has access to a network of tunnels and passageways under the city which can get them anywhere. Her mother was a star member, and died in somewhat mysterious circumstances which Agatha wants to get to the bottom of. Oh, and to add to all of that, Agatha’s father seems to have a secret too! All of this together makes for an action packed story where all these threads move along together to create a fun and exciting read.

I read this book without having read the first one, and while reading them in order would have made things a little clearer in terms of the background and the Gatekeepers Guild, not doing so didn’t interfere with the enjoyment of the story too much. Agatha herself I thought was a very likeable character, with a good deal of spunk, and not too much respect for the rules. The story is told in first person by Agatha. Though she is a fan of Christie, the way her mind works (sort of like the Mind Palace, which if I remember right is from the Sherlock TV series) and the case itself reminded me much more of Sherlock Holmes than Poirot. Some of what how she goes about solving her case also reminded me of Enid Blyton’s Findouters books (disguises and such). Liam and Brianna seem pretty likeable too, but I didn’t feel I got to see enough of them or at least them in action as much as we do (and obviously so) Agatha. The mystery itself, since I had Sherlock Holmes on my mind was something I could guess, the what at least, but still it was good fun. With the thread of her mother’s case continuing on, and of course another mystery to solve, this is a series I will definitely enjoy exploring. Till the next one comes, I still have the first to read. Great fun.

This book comes out on 7th March 2019!

#5 Maddy Alone by Pamela Brown

My thanks to Steerforth Press/Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Maddy Alone is the second book in Pamela Brown’s Blue Door series. Find my review of book 1, The Swish of the Curtain, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) This one was first published in 1945 (the author must have been just out of her teens at this point), and is being brought out again by Pushkin Press. In the first book, seven children, Sandra, Nigel, Jeremy, Bulldog, Lyn, Vickie and Maddie set up their own theatre company in Fenchester, where they live—they put up shows (from Shakespeare to their own plays) during the holidays and for different occasions, and finally manage to convince their parents to send them to drama school. In Maddy Alone, all the children have gone to drama school except Maddy who is now twelve but still too young to join them. Working (not very hard) at school, she feels it is unfair that they get to go to study drama while she has to study arithmetic (or in her words, or something like them, about Mr. A, Mr. B and Mr. C, who dig wells). She is excited when the holidays approach for all the others will be back and they can put on a show but it turns out that only Sandra is coming home while the rest are to stay back in London where they are needed for a show. This naturally disappoints her some more, especially since even Sandra when she’s there is more interested in going shopping with their mother. But some excitement is in store for Maddy when a film crew comes into Fenchester to shoot a historical film, and Maddy finds herself the leading lady! Maddy becomes a film star alright but also remains Maddy, able at most times to get her own way, and to get people to do what she wants, and up to plenty of mischief in the process.

This was a really quick read, much shorter than the first book but still very good fun. This time, as I already wrote, the story pretty much focuses on Maddy. One can relate to her feeling of being left out of things (of all the excitement, so to speak) because of her age, and her inability to understand/accept that the others had also got to go to school as well, but at times, at least initially, she did also come across as a tad more childish than I liked. But as things move along, and she gets her big opportunity, I also found myself appreciating how she did stay grounded and normal despite all the attention that was coming her way, and the possibility of fame—she is excited by things that are happening and not so very interested in regular school life, but doesn’t acquire airs or always want to dress up or play film star. In fact, quite the opposite, she is the characteristic Maddy “bullying” if I can call it that more than one person (including a gruffy old peer) to get what she wants, questioning things that are not to her liking (even if to means giving up the opportunities she has), and worried about letting the other Blue Doors down if she doesn’t do well enough. She learns a thing or two in the process but essentially remains the same mischievous girl. It was good fun reading of her adventures and antics (which at one point reminded me of the Family at One End Street), and of Mrs Potter-Smith making a nuisance of herself as always, and I can’t wait to pick up the next one and see what the children get up to next.

Pamela Brown, who started this series when she was just in her teens (13 according to Wikipedia; the first book was published when she was 16), was a writer, actress and television producer, and like the children in the books put on plays with her friends when a child.

The book comes out on 14 May 2019.

#6 Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

The 1883 classic tale of the rather naughty wooden puppet. The translation I read was by M.A. Murray, illustrated by Mariano Leone. The story begins with a carpenter Master Cherry coming upon a rather unusual piece of wood which seems to talk and laugh, and even cry. He hands this over to his friend Geppetto who has at that time come looking for a piece of wood to make a puppet by which he can earn a living. But even as he is making the puppet, he realises that this no ordinary puppet for it not only speaks to him, but begins to get into mischief like pulling off the poor man’s wig. And once Pinocchio is made, more mischief ensues as the boy is interested only in having his own way, even if poor old Geppetto has to suffer (even go to prison) in the process. But Pinocchio is not bad hearted. He in fact feels for his father and really wishes to do him some good. With good intentions, he starts off to school with his spelling book but before long is distracted by a puppet show. This is the beginning of a series of adventures where Pinocchio falls into one soup after another (from nearly being fried as a fish to turning into a donkey), while attempting quite sincerely every so often to turn good, and ultimately to become a boy.

For starters, I realised when I read that book that I hadn’t actually ever read it before. The impression I had of Pinocchio is of a boy-puppet who told lies which made his nose grow long, which was then restored if he tells the truth—something which would go on till he learnt his lesson. But this was not just that, in fact there were literally only two episodes of this. Pinocchio gets into various forms of mischief, but his worst habits are being disobedient and getting tempted by whatever people (usually the wrong sort) tell him rather than listening to good advice. That he is lazy, and like many children would rather be having fun than going to school adds to his troubles, and he finds himself in trouble (even on the verge of losing his life) each time he strays. But the kind of adventures he has and the different settings and characters are very imaginative, fun, and a real delight to read about. I enjoyed the descriptions, for instance of the poodle, Medoro who was sent by the blue-haired fairy to rescue Pinocchio:

“He was in the full dress livery of a coachman. On his head was a three-cornered cap braided with gold, his curly white wig came down onto his shoulders, he had a chocolate-colored waistcoat with diamond buttons, and two large pockets to contain the bones that his mistress gave him at dinner. He had besides a pair of short crimson velvet breeches, silk stockings, cut-down shoes, and hanging behind him a species of umbrella case made of blue satin, to put his tail into when the weather was rainy.”

And the story is full of humour. There are also some (not a lot) of rather Alicey (in wonderland) lines. For instance:

“I wish to know from you gentlemen, if this unfortunate puppet is alive or dead!”

…

“To my belief the puppet is already quite dead; but if unfortunately he should not be dead, then it would be a sign that he is still alive.”

“I regret,” said the Owl, “to be obliged to contradict the Crow, my illustrious friend and colleague; but in my opinion the puppet is still alive; but if unfortunately he should not be alive, then it would be a sign that he is dead indeed!”


This is a humorous and fun read, and although it does (and understandably so) get preachy in parts about how young boys should behave (after all it was meant to teach a lesson), I found it to be a really enjoyable read.

A version of this review appears on my blog: https://potpourri2015.wordpress.com/2...

#7 Twice Shy by Dick Francis
Another racing-related thriller by Francis, this time a little different from the usual. The story opens with Jonathan Derry, a school physics teacher and Olympic shooter, who is living with his estranged wife. The two are called by another couple, their friends, both of whom are in different sorts of trouble. Peter Keithly has been writing a computer program for someone which is essentially a betting system for horse racing that ensures the bettor very high chances of wins (at least one in three races). But some dangerous elements are after the program which he hands to Jonathan for safekeeping in three cassette tapes. Jonathan doesn’t know what the program is all about but only that some thugs are after it. When Peter dies in an accident, these men turn their attention to Jonathan, who must find out what is so valuable about those tapes and how best he can deal with the very violent man who is after them. He does so, and cleverly, but that isn’t the end of the story. In the second part, many years later, his younger brother William finds himself faced with the same threat and has to deal with it in his own way to ensure the safety of he and those he loves.

This was a fast paced and very readable Dick Francis mystery as always. The difference (from the usual) is that the story is told in two parts, and therefore in the voices of the two different main characters, Jonathan Derry and then later his brother William, with a short interlude in the middle, in the form of letters. In a sense, two separate, though connected stories. I enjoyed the two characters’ different personalities and their completely different approaches to dealing with the threat that they face. Both are highly intelligent as always, and use their special knowledge/skill (Jonathan, at least). Among the other characters, I really liked Bananas Frisby, eccentric pub owner, and also Cassie, William’s girlfriend though we don’t see her as much in action. The computer programs involved are however based on old technology, languages like BASIC (which I remember learning a little of when we first started computer lessons in Class V), and programs that could be stored on cassette tapes, but I still liked reading about how it all worked, and a time when computers were a rarity rather than the norm that they are now. As usual the action is connected to the racing world, and William is in fact employed there as well, but we aren’t in the thick of racing action as in many of his others books but in the sidelines, though events like auctions take place. Also as usual, the “villain” of the piece is excessively violent, and difficult to control. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable read for me, though not my favourite Francis. Also I wasn’t too satisfied with the end, though I think it can be interpreted as being on a chilling note.

#8 Wigs on the Green by Nancy Mitford
This is Mitford’s third novel published in 1935 and pokes fun at her future brother-in-law Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, something that caused a rift between Nancy and her sister Diana although Nancy toned down some sections before publication. The book opens with Noel Foster, a young man working in a stockbroker’s firm, who comes into a small legacy and decides to leave his job and marry an heiress. In this he enlists the help of his old pal Japser Aspect, despite knowing that the latter will sponge off him in the process. Jasper takes him to the village of Chalford, home of among others, Eugenia Malmains, an heiress but also a devoted member of the Union Jackshirts (modelled on Nancy’s other sister Unity), working at the cause of spreading social unionism in the country. She lives with her grandparents—her grandfather is ill while her grandma is pretty clueless about what “society” is like any longer, or for that matter what her granddaughter is up to. At Chalford, things turn out differently from what they expected, with Noel being smitten by the local beauty Mrs Lace, and a couple of ladies Miss Smith and Miss Jones (obviously under assumed names) coming to stay at the Jolly Roger (where the two young men are also staying), and soon enough there’s a comic web of romances, matchmaking, and a dash of politics. At the pub also appear two detectives, and the young people try to discover which of them are the target.

While a fun enough novel, this wasn’t my favourite Mitford. Eugenia, despite her fervour, comes across (as she was meant to) as comical (something on the lines of Wodehouse’s Roderick Spode and the Black Shorts), but one can’t help thinking back to the actual extent that this fervour took the real people that the book was based on. I enjoyed the humour and the rather hilarious pageant in which the whole story culminates, which for Eugenia is a rally for the cause of the social unionists but which her grandmother continues to believe is an innocent entertainment, even when there is an actual clash with the Pacifists right in the middle. The book had some very Wodehousian touches which I also enjoyed. However, unlike in her other novels, I didn’t really take to any of the characters, though I enjoyed their eccentricities. A pleasant read but not as much fun for me as many of Mitford’s other books.

#9 Renée Stone 1: Murder in Abyssinia by Julie Birmant and Clément Oubrerie
My thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a review copy of this book.

This is a graphic novel and first in series featuring Renée Stone, author of detective fiction, who arrives in Ethiopia (then, Abyssinia) along with a number of other “hand-picked Europeans” in October 1930 to witness the coronation of the last Emperor Haile Selassie I. As she is getting off the train after a twenty-hour journey, she meets archaeologist-epigraphist John Malowan, who is immediately smitten by her. She herself is interested in his friend/travelling companion, Theziger, a dashing explorer. Once there, she also bumps into a critic and author Graham Gray (obviously, a play on Graham Greene, even down to his book “No Reply from Istanbul”), who seems to enjoy bringing up the more painful aspects of her life. Meanwhile, John takes her to meet his family (who think she is his wife), and there she is given a Mesopotamian cylinder, belonging to John’s grandfather, Hormuzd Rassam, also an archaeologist. This is just the beginning of an adventure as it is soon clear that there are some sinister elements after John, to do with his family and especially his father, who seems to have been a smuggler/dealer in artefacts. This takes them to an elephant sanctuary and to Lalibela, where at 8,200 feet above sea level, a replica of Jerusalem had been built, and puts them in a situation where they do not know whom to trust. With John being quite a scatterbrain, it is up to Renée to take charge and get them to safety.

I chose to read this one since the description made it sound very much like the characters were based (loosely) on Agatha Christie and Max Mallowan, a successful detective novelist and an archaeologist coming together to solve a mystery. While I was expecting this to be somewhat of a whodunit, it didn’t turn out to be one, but was more on the lines of a thriller of sorts in an archaeological setting, with elements of mystery and murder. I liked that the book incorporates a real historical event, the coronation of Haile Selassie and historical characters—Hormuzd Rassam was real, and I also enjoyed learning about Lalibela, also a real location. The concept of the story was interesting, and I liked (as I usually do) the archaeology setting, and the fact that this turns into a quest for a lost treasure (which will continue in the next volume). Also, I liked how the book based its characters on Christie and her Husband and brings in Graham Greene (though I don’t think there’s more than a basic similarity). While I found the story enjoyable, it (and the characters) somehow didn’t grab me as much as I had thought from the description that they would. Still, this was a quick read with a subject and setting that I enjoy, and the fact that the next leg of the adventure will take us to Mesopotamia, certainly makes me want to pick up the next volume.

#10 Shelley by David Vandermeulen, Daniel Casanave, and Patrice Larcenet
My thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a review copy of this one.

This graphic novel tells the story of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Opening in Oxford in 1811, when he gets expelled for his essay on Atheism (he was always in trouble there, pretty much), to his meeting with his first wife Harriet, and then his meeting and elopement with Mary Shelley, which is where this volume stops. The book does stay true to his story, more or less but tells it in a humorous way. The art too, is on the lines of caricature.
This was a cute way of getting to know about Shelley. I knew a little about him but not very much—that he was married to Harriet and then eloped with Mary, that he contributed to Frankenstein, that he died at a young age—but not much more. Also I’ve only read a few of his poems, but have a couple of his essays--on atheism, and in defence of poetry—on my TBR. The book touches upon these other writings I feel more than his poetry. We see him writing Queen Mab, of course, also a couple of other poems, but this volume mentions his essay “The Necessity of Atheism”, his adoption of vegetarianism, even the Declaration of Rights that he wrote. This also mentions Shelley sending out his declaration of rights in corked bottles in the sea (which is another thing I’d read about somewhere or other). Even though as a graphic novel, this doesn’t go into details of his works (there are quotes from his poetry, and letters etc on some of the pages aside from the main story), we can see him as someone who challenged popular views, and who certainly didn’t live his life conforming to the social norms of the day. But living his life on his own terms meant on the negative side that he didn’t seem to really think of who he would be hurting by his actions (like Harriet when his affection for her waned). His father and sisters, even his father-in-law disapprove as a consequence, and only his somewhat eccentric uncle (who came across as pretty likeable) seems to support him, even intercede with his father on his behalf when he runs out of money.

While the book gives one a bare glimpse into what must have been a rich, and certainly a very unusual life, it does so in a really enjoyable way. I hope there’s a second volume which picks up from where this left off. Though the numbering on NetGalley seems to suggest that the second might probably be from a different viewpoint, may be Mary Shelley? (Just checked the original French versions on goodreads, and it turns out this is right).

#11 The Porpoise by Mark Haddon
My thanks to Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Part of the description of this book on NetGalley was this:

“A newborn baby is the sole survivor of a terrifying plane crash.
She is raised in wealthy isolation by an overprotective father. She knows nothing of the rumours about a beautiful young woman, hidden from the world.

When a suitor visits, he understands far more than he should. Forced to run for his life, he escapes aboard The Porpoise, an assassin on his tail…”

Reading this, the book sounded pretty interesting, according to me, perhaps a retelling or modern version of the Tempest, but turns out I didn’t pay enough attention to the last part, and got the wrong Shakespeare play. This is a retelling or version of one, but the play in question is Pericles. But because of the wrong assumption I started with, my reading experience turned out to be a little strange (the book is a little strange actually), which started on an interesting note, then got to a point where I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue, and then ended with me actually pretty much enjoying the book quite a bit.

When the story starts, we meet Phillipe who loses his much beloved wife Maja in a plane accident, leaving behind their baby. Phillipe (who is very wealthy) is devastated and retreats from society with the child, but his affection for the baby, Angelique who reminds him of Maja takes a dark turn and he crosses all lines. [This was the point at which, despite my enjoying the writing, I was considering not continuing the story. But I am glad I did.] Then a young man, Darius, whose father was connected by business to Phillipe decides to visit them on the pretext of selling some art, but actually to catch a glimpse of Angelique whose beauty is much talked of in society. But when he realises that something is wrong in the household, he finds his own life in danger. Barely managing to escape he gets aboard a vessel, the Porpoise, suddenly Darius and the reader find that we’re transitioning into another story and another time, as we begin to follow Pericles as he lands at Tarsus, rescuing it, Dionyza, and Cleon from their troubles, only to be led on to Pentapolis where he meets (in this version) Chloe the daughter of Simonides, the king, their marriage, and child, how all three are separated and what befalls them then. Alongside we keep coming back to the present and to Angelique who finds her escape in books, and a third thread to the story is also introduced but I’ll leave you to find out what that is for yourself.

As I said, when I started the book, I was enjoying the writing but then when it got into aspects that were distasteful and disturbing for me to say the least, I was beginning to even consider giving up. But luckily I didn’t, and when it got on to Pericles’ tale, which really forms most part of the book, I began to enjoy the book quite a bit. Haddon has (as we can see from his sources at the end) gone into different versions of this story, a collaboration between George Wilkins and Shakespeare (in the Shakespeare version), and come up with his own. It was only when I got the Pericles connection and read up the basic plot of Pericles (I haven’t read the Shakespeare play), this began to make a little more sense to me (something like what happened with reading The Sisters of the Winter Wood last year, when I had the idea of Goblin Market in my mind, then the book began to make far more sense)—also I realised how the modern part of the story fits into the whole scheme (what it’s role was in the whole plot, even in the original, isn’t very clear). I also really liked the way Haddon ended the Pericles part of the story, very subtly done (and different from the Shakespeare version). The third thread, I am not very sure I understood the role of in the scheme of things, in a sense also is built around the aspect of justice, or having to face the Furies for the wrongs one has committed. I enjoyed the writing of the book for the most part, and the plot too kept me hooked because I wasn’t sure where the various threads would lead, and how the whole thing would shape up. So overall, it turned out to be a pretty interesting read, but it still loses a star from me one because of the disturbing plot aspects which made sense after I got the Pericles connection but didn’t become any the more acceptable (or less disturbing), and also because I really wasn’t able to make sense of the whole scheme of the plot (the third plot thread, and also another part of the story). But good reading if one can stick with it, or the subject matter doesn’t put you off too much (particularly since this is just a small part of the story).

#12 Poland by James Michener
What I knew about Poland was pretty limited—that the Second World War began with Hitler’s invasion of the country, and of course, Pope John Paul II, but not very much else. I’d honestly forgotten that Marie Curie was Polish as was Chopin. So, Michener’s book was a great way for me to get to know more about this land. Michener sets his story in the fictional village of Bukowo, and around three families, the peasant Buk, the lesser noble Bukowski, and the magnate Lubonski, and we follow members of these families from the thirteenth century to the 1980s where the story opens and closes. The story opens with negotiations between farmers and the government in 1980s Poland, the farmer from the Buk family and the minister from the Bukowskis, with the government’s stand being communist and Russian, and the farmers’ a demand for more freedom, and better work conditions. From there we travel back to 1204, and then through Polish history back to this time to see how the dispute is finally resolved. Poland is a country with no natural borders, which, along with its system of government where the elected ruler was never allowed to have much power lest he deprive the magnates of theirs, led the country to always fall prey to invaders—some invasions were repulsed, others not, so for a period of over 140 years, the country even ceased to exist, having been divided between Germany, Russia, and Austria. But it was resilient and always rebuilt all that was destroyed, time and time again.

The book, as is the case with Michener, gave me a holistic picture of the country, of major events—a lot of which were wars and invasions and of the character, the resilience of this country. Besides war, music is another theme that Michener explores, Polish music vis-à-vis others, not as structured but with a spirit of its own. The long chapter on the second world war and how it impacted the country was somewhat of an eye-opener for me, because I really didn’t know or realise the extent to which the Polish people (those who weren’t Jewish) were also targeted, and lost their lives in concentration camps. Michener picks up some of the most horrifying incidents in Majdaneck which are chilling, heartbreaking, and leave one without words. But worse than that, the end of that chapter was as much or more ominous that the chapter itself, for the end of the war didn’t spell the end of the trials for the country. In fact, the book itself also ends on a rather ominous note, but of course this is speaking of circumstances forty years ago. But aside from this, I enjoyed following the various characters, and their stories—it took some getting used to to make a connection between the various generations and family members but once I got my head around that, I began to enjoy (not that this is the right word considering all the hardships the faced) following their stories, and seeing how things turned out for all of them. This was an excellent read, although sombre in tone mostly, and with much that was heartbreaking.

One of these days I'm going to read one of James Michener's books. They are all so long and daunting. I own one, actually got from my Grandparents...perhaps that is where I shall start. Poland looks good too!

Pamela wrote: "One of these days I'm going to read one of James Michener's books. They are all so long and daunting. I own one, actually got from my Grandparents...perhaps that is where I shall start. Poland look..."

Exactly why this was waiting so long on my TBR. I read his Alaska a few years ago and enjoyed it--a lot--and yet the size of the books always makes one hesitate before picking one up. I also have Mexico waiting :)

#13 One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
Book 2 of the Brother Cadfael series, which is one I’ve been reading in no particular order. The series is set in 12th Century England where a civil war is raging between cousins King Stephen and Empress Maud, both claimants to the throne. People support one or the other as per their beliefs (and opportunity too), but when the other party is in the ascendant, their very lives are in danger. In this one, King Stephen has made some advances and reached Shrewsbury, where the Castle supports Empress Maud, who is still in Normandy. Stephen manages to overthrow them and the ninety-four men who are captured are put to death. The Abbey wishes to give these brave men a suitable burial and Brother Cadfael is put in charge. But when he gets there, there aren’t ninety-four bodies as he was given to expect but ninety-five, and that one additional man was not hanged as the others but murdered. Meanwhile, a young potential novice, Godric, is brought to the Abbey and placed as Cadfael’s assistant, who Cadfael soon finds has a secret of his own. Cadfael has to both solve the mystery and help Godric before danger catches up with them.

I enjoy this series largely because of its setting in a period of history I knew next to nothing about, and also for Brother Cadfael’s character, who is very likeable indeed. This book introduces one character who becomes a regular in the series, but on our initial introduction we do not really know what to make of that person. The character and Brother Cadfael have a battle of wits which was enjoyable to watch unfold. Both the female characters we follow are courageous and spunky, which and don’t allow their allegiances to overtake their personal judgment. All the characters we meet in this book have their backstories, problems, but while interesting, they didn’t seem as complex as characters in some of the later books in the series. The mystery again wasn’t terribly complicated (in fact fairly straightforward) but at the same time, the explanation definitely had aspects I didn’t catch on to though the background was set for it right from the start. Still as part of the series, this was an enjoyable read for me (despite the sombre themes—war and death), especially seeing how characters who were familiar to me from later books entered the scene.

#14 A Country Rivalry by Sasha Morgan
My thanks to NetGalley and Aria for a review copy of this one.

A Country Rivalry is set in Treweham village in the Cotswalds where we “meet” and follow the stories of numerous characters—the lord of the manor Tobias Cavendish-Blake, recently married to Megan; his younger brother Sebastian who is seeing success on the stage as Richard III but had seen unhappiness in his personal life; Dylan a jockey who is starting his own training yard with a girl he loves Flora but has to face his playboy past; Finula chef at the Templar, the local inn and also daughter of its proprietor, who is also dealing with heartbreak; and Gary and Tracy Belcher, lottery winners who have made Treweham their home after finding that their fortune means that their old friends only value them for their money, and while moving has meant getting away from this, they haven’t yet found a new “home” at Treweham. A documentary-film maker, Marcus Devlin (who has met Finula before) decides to make a film on the countryside and Treweham specifically (he has his reasons), and the arrival of the crew throws the lives of all its residents into disarray as the crew Marcus and Viola (his researcher, with an agenda of her own) are set on showing the worst side of village life, especially the aristocracy. On the other side, their arrival brings hope of love to some of the characters, Finula, and Sebastian, specifically.

This was a pleasant enough read for me (although it did turn out different from what I was expecting from the description (second time this month)—there was no cover at the time I requested the book). The characters are pretty straight-forward, though they each have their problems and secrets, loneliness, heartbreak, illness, revenge etc. among them, they aren’t complicated in themselves (but then, this is popular fiction). But that said, I did find myself getting interested in their stories, and wanting to know how things would turn out for each of them. From the beginning one does know that this is a feel-good sort of book, so things will turn out right certainly, but I still liked seeing how that would happen. The characters were also all fairly likeable except the one/s who aren’t supposed to be, but also they are more or less “perfect” as far as appearance goes even if not in their natures. I also liked that the resolution of everything was not too melodramatic (just a touch). But there were parts of this book that read like a cheesy romance which made me cringe a bit—these I felt could have been done much more subtly. Also there were some parts of the book (not very many, but still) that made me feel as if I’m reading a sequel where previous events are being recapped, which I don’t think is the case, so possibly these could have been written differently as well. Overall, this was a light-hearted read, pleasant, and one I would have enjoyed much more if it weren’t for some aspects (the cheesy bits specifically).

#15 Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
Book 5 in the Flavia de Luce series. Speaking from Among the Bones takes place only a few months after the first book I think, and Flavia is already into her fifth murder mystery. It’s nearly Easter (the last book I’m Half Sick of Shadows was close to Christmas), and St Tancred’s bones are to be exhumed. When the tomb is being opened, instead of St Tancred, they find Mr Collicut, the church organist there, and with a gas mask covering his face. Why was he killed so strangely and why was his body hidden there? Flavia sets out to investigate, amongst old friends and new acquaintances, coming upon some more information about her mother Harriet as well. Meanwhile, there are developments taking place at home too which can have major implications for all their lives.

This was another entry in this series that I really enjoyed. I love as I have said in my reviews of other books in this series Flavia’s ‘voice’, even if it doesn’t always come across as that of an eleven-year old. And it’s not only her voice but also her chemistry lab, knowledge of poisons, and resourcefulness when investigating that I like very much—such fun. There’s also through her sister Daffy always talk of some of the other books, as well as mention of Enid Blyton which is always fun. The mystery, though not very complex or twisted nonetheless has substance, and wasn’t one I could guess. This was a very entertaining read, and with the twist at the end, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!

#16 A Murder on Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
This is the first in a mystery series featuring Perveen Mistry, the first female lawyer in Bombay (based on the real firsts, Camelia Sorabji and Mithan Tata Lam) set in the 1920s. Perveen is 23, has read law at Oxford, and is employed in her father’s firm as no one else would employ her. She isn’t a member of the Bar since this is still not permitted at that point. Her father’s firm is appointed to execute the will of one Omar Farid, a wealthy mill-owner who was their client. On his death, he has left behind three widows, all of whom are purdahnashin, that is they live in seclusion with no contact with men from outside their family. As a woman lawyer, Perveen is the only one who can speak to them, find out what their wishes are regarding their money, and communicate to them what the law is, and how it can help them. But her efforts aren’t appreciated by all, especially the guardian of the estate, who is clearly not acting fairly, and this spells trouble for Perveen (since he thinks he can intimidate a ‘mere woman’. But when a murder takes place and she continues to investigate, Perveen finds her own life also in danger. Alongside, a second thread of the story takes place taking us into Perveen’s past including the struggles she faced as the only female student in the Government Law College in Bombay, and the decisions in her personal life that had unforeseen consequences that was affect her life in the long run.

This was such an enjoyable read for me. I thought the author captured the whole atmosphere of 1920s Bombay and life in the Parsi community as it would have been back then really well. It felt really authentic, especially some of the customs, mannerisms and language. I also really liked Perveen as a character. She is an intelligent young woman, but also very human—she takes decisions that aren’t always the right ones as all of us do, and also acts impetuously at times. But still she is a likeable character, and a strong one considering all she has borne in her past, as well as feisty in how she deals with the dangers that she faces when investigating the case at hand. She is also confident in the way she conducts herself, not allowing much to intimidate her. I also loved that her family, especially her parents are so supportive of her, are with her every step of the way and taking care even when she is unaware that they are. The mystery was interesting, and also brought forth how life would have been for women in the position that the widows were in—unable to operate in the real world, unable to be safe when their husband was no longer with them, and vulnerable to be taken advantage of by even those who were left to care for them (servants pilfering money and such). I really loved this book and am looking forward to the second in the series which comes out sometime in May.

#17 Sovereign by C.J. Sansom
Book 3 of the Matthew Shardlake series. This one, like book 1, Dissolution, takes place for the most part away from London. The setting is York, where Henry VIII’s progress is set to arrive. Shardlake has been appointed to assist with the petitions that the King will hear while there, something he accepts as he is in need of money. Alongside, Archbishop Cranmer charges him with a second mission, one he is reluctant to accept but has to—to ensure the welfare of a conspirator, Sir Edward Broderick, who is to be brought back to London, destined for the tower. He arrives at York where preparations for the progress are underway. Then a glazier who he has just met falls to his death, something that Shardlake suspects is murder. Then Shardlake is attacked and some papers that were found in the glazier’s possession stolen. The papers he has found but not had the opportunity to really read contain a secret that might threaten the Tudor throne, and when there are more attempts on Shardlake’s life, the dangers for him increase. He must also deal with the unpleasantness with Sir Richard Rich who still holds a grudge for the case that Shardlake is fighting against his interests, and who is there are part of the privy council. Meanwhile Barak is falling in love with Tamasin Reedbourne, part of the queen’s entourage, which attracts the attention of her mistress Jennet Marlin (who had grudges of her own), and Lady Rochford, George Boleyn’s wife and now in service of Catherine Howard. Catherine Howard, is young and clueless, and with her possible/rumoured infidelities coming to light, circumstances put Shardlake and Barak in further danger.

This book somehow I felt was much darker than the first two somehow with prisoners being put to (or destined) for the rack and worse, the sadistic Radwinter in charge of Broderick, the cold Maleverer, and Henry himself, who is now old, ill, distrustful of everyone, and getting more and more cruel by the day. The fact that Shardlake finds himself in deeper waters than before, and has to undergo an ordeal that certainly sent chills down my spine, adds to this atmosphere. While I enjoyed reading about how the progress went on, how things would have been arranged, worked, etc., especially as with Sansom’s writing and descriptions, you can really picture things as they would have been, the constant threat of torture, cruelty, and death makes one feel rather uneasy. The mystery or mysteries in the book had several twists and I couldn’t really guess how any of them would be resolved. I also enjoyed the characters, all of them are really well done, and of course, following the stories of Shardlake and Barak. This was a gripping read, though slower paced, perhaps, than Dark Fire, but still really enjoyable (though that’s probably not the right word to use here).

#18 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Finally, I’ve read this one and saw why it is being talked of so much—definitely worth every bit of the hype. This one takes us into the world of sixteen-year-old Starr Carter, who lives in a poor neighbourhood, where drug-dealers, gangs, and shootouts are a reality, as are people who are trying to live as ‘normally’ as possible despite the circumstances—some managing to do so, while others continuing to be trapped in the vicious circle. On the way back from a party, Starr witnesses a white police officer shoot her childhood friend, Khalil, who was unarmed and did absolutely nothing. Not only that, he is branded a drug-dealer, accused of carrying a gun, and much else by the media. It falls to Starr as the only witness, and as his friend, to defend him and make sure the truth gets out there, and justice is done. But speaking out would mean danger, not only to her own life but also to her family. Alongside, as she attends (and has been for the past few years) a suburban prep school, Williamson, where she is the among the few black students, and where others are from very affluent backgrounds, she assumes a different persona to the Starr that lives in Garden Heights, her neighbourhood. This adds another, different kind of impediment to her expressing her feelings, to speaking out.

This was such a gritty and impactful read, yet managing to bring in some humour as well. The author’s portrayal of Starr, what she has to face, her reactions, was really well done, and so realistic, that one has to remind oneself that she isn’t real (though what she faces very much is). I loved her family, and the support she gets from them at every step. Her parents, brothers, even uncle and aunt—they have their issues too but manage to work through them and be there for her and their other kids when they need them. The book brings to light what some sections of society (and this does apply in different forms to different communities and places) have to live with every day, and how despite wanting to get out of that trap, circumstances and attitudes of the majority push them further and further into it instead of enabling them to escape. It also foregrounds the uncomfortable truth that doing right may not always ensure the right outcome. And the message, which is highlighted again at the end of the book is clear: “Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.” Very compelling reading. Post the verdict, some part of the book felt a little haphazard to me, but that was my only small complaint with the book. Otherwise a compelling, excellent read. Four and a half stars.

#19 Ever Alice by H.J. Ramsay
My thanks to NetGalley and Red Rogue Press for a review copy of this book.

Ever Alice is pretty much a sequel to the Alice books taking place when Alice is fifteen. Alice has never ceased to believe in Wonderland and those she met there, but in the “real” world, this has meant that people, her parents and sister included, do not think her “normal” but “mad”. As a consequence, she is now undergoing treatment in a mental facility, dreaming of returning to her family one day. On the other side, we see the Queen of Hearts, here Rosamund, who is turning more and more ruthless as time passes, and beheading whoever irks her in one way or other, their innocence being of no consequence. The White Rabbit (here Ralph) comes to Alice and seeks her help in doing away with Rosamund. Alice does not wish to kill anyone but does want to escape, even more now that she is going to be subjected to new treatments to “cure” her at a different facility. Once in Wonderland, Alice finds herself placed as one of the Queen’s ladies alongside Bess (the Duchess with the pig baby), who hates her, and Sabrina who wants to be her friend. She also finds herself falling in love with the Prince of Hearts, Thomas. But plots to do away with the Queen are very much underway, and Alice is a part of them whether or not she wants to do any actual killing, while the Queen on her side is trying to secure her throne by getting rid of Constance, the Queen of Spades, and anyone else that she is in a mind to. How does Alice fare amongst these plots and counter plots?

I loved that so many of the characters that we are familiar with from the Alice books (this is probably the first sequel/retelling that I’m reading) are there in the book with “new” names—Ralph the white rabbit, Sir William (the Hatter), and Charles (the Dodo) besides the Duchess with the pig baby (Bess) and others (With the new names, it took some time to get my head around how was who). There are also other characters that are new but springing from the books as well as those familiar from outside, such as Humpty Dumpty’s cousin (Marco Polo), Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum’s children, Lady Godiva, the Frog Princess, and Marilyn Montagu, the actress! The story for the most part switches between Alice’s viewpoint and Rosamund’s (though in third person) and so we see the other characters through their stories.

This was a fun sequel to Alice which for the most part keeps the humour and whimsical tone that one would associate with Alice (though it didn’t have perhaps what I would call Alice-y lines). I loved how the author created a skittles game (with armadillos and penguins) on the same lines as the original croquet, but very imaginative and fun all the same; and there is also another trial that Alice has to face. The plot was fairly interesting (though the Alice being brought back to kill the Queen bit is, may be, similar to the recent Alice films), and I liked how it played out with a fair number of twists and surprises along the way. (Even with characters who we “know”, things don’t turn out as we expect). For me though, after the first few pages, it somewhat began to drag for a bit (in the sense that I was enjoying it but not to the point that I couldn’t put it down or wait to get back to it), but then a little after the half way point, it once again picked up pace and I wanted to read on to see how things turn out for all the characters. The book has both light and dark moments—one point/aspect at the end was a little too dark for me, but it was definitely something that I didn’t see coming, and kind of left me with an eerie feeling.

I enjoyed reading this book very much, but not as much I expected to, so this was about a 3.5 stars for me.

#20 Divergent by Veronica Roth
Probably a book that almost everyone has read or is at least aware of—and one I just got down to reading. This is of course, the first of a dystopian series set in a futuristic world where most people are divided into five factions—amity, abnegation, candor, dauntless, and erudite based on the qualities that are most prominent in them, but also based on their own choices. Then there are those who are factionless, the lowest of the low. In this world lives Beatrice Prior with her brother Caleb and parents, all part of abnegation. Beatrice however doesn’t really ‘fit’ into any of these categories in her aptitude test, but is divergent, something it is dangerous to be in their world, though it isn’t initially clear why. When choosing day comes, Beatrice picks dauntless as her faction, and arriving there finds initiation both hard and ruthless, particularly since all the initiates will not get to be full members. Through the process she must not only meet every challenge that comes before her but also keep her identity (as divergent) secret for there are many out to destroy anyone who is. Alongside, there is also something mysterious going on within some factions which may affect all their futures.

Fast paced and entertaining, this book kept me hooked throughout and I enjoyed it so much more than I’d expected to. I liked that Beatrice or Tris, which is the name she picks for herself when joining dauntless, is daring (and in some ways fearless, or at least willing to face her fears), she is also not a superhero(ine), she can also be vulnerable, she also suffers at the hands of those that are stronger and must discover how she can use her own strengths to her advantage. There was of course a romance along the way, which was also a prominent thread in the story alongside the initiation process and other threads. The third thread, that of mysterious goings on in some factions, is something that only develops later on in the story (towards the end, pretty much) and is what will tie the rest of the series together. Fun enough to want to read on and see what happens next.

#21 Golden Pavements by Pamela Brown
My thanks to Steerforth Press/Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Golden Pavements is the third in the Blue Door series of books by Pamela Brown set around a group of children (three sets of siblings) interested in theatre, who are now training to be professional actors, and aspire to make their amateur theatre, the Blue Door Theatre, in their hometown of Fenchester, professional. While I say this is the third book, the events of this book start before the second book, Maddy Alone, and continue past the events of that book. So when we start, Nigel, the eldest has spent some time at the British Actors Guild Dramatic School while the others (with the exception of Maddy who is still twelve) have just come in for their first term. Soon enough they are absorbed in theatre life, with things to be learnt and shows to be put on, but alongside also having to deal with the reality of living life on their own on meagre allowances, and having to penny pinch or take up jobs (even against rules) to make up where they’re falling short. We see them in their time at the Academy, their tours and summer jobs, the time that Maddy joins them, and finally as they leave the Academy and set off to set up their own repertory company. At times, we are following all of the children, while at others, one or more of them as they take up jobs (like Lyn and Vicky serving as assistant stage managers in a small repertory company for ten weeks). They have fun but the work is hard as well, and some lessons of life they must learn the hard way.

This instalment in the series focused on the experiences of young actors (or producers, or stage managers, or anyone connected with the theatre) when they first begin to translate their dreams into reality. The children’s amateur productions or experience helps them but working in a professional setting is a completely different cup of tea. While this doesn’t discourage any of our young heroes and heroines, they experience both highs and lows, good performances and bad ones, tough days and golden ones. Probably written on the basis of the author’s own experiences, this feels very real (But she managed to achieve this effect with the first book in the series as well, which she wrote when 14 or 15, what had me especially in awe was that she could out forth the ‘grown ups’’ point of view very fairly as well)—the kind of experiences they undergo, their hopes, aspirations, decisions that they take, and I had great fun going along with them. I haven’t read very many books in a theatre setting, but this one while not going into every little detail gives one a fairly good idea of the workings of the process, of the hard work that goes into it, and of the fact that despite all of this, the result may not always be a happy one. I also found all of the children very likeable (as in the previous instalments), and even when they don’t take the right decisions on everything or are veering off course, one can’t fault them for it because these are mistakes that anyone can (and would probably) make. This was a fast-paced, endearing, and absorbing read, and I enjoyed myself very very much reading it.

Pamela Brown was a British writer, actor, and producer of children’s television programmes. The town of Fenchester is based on her own town of Colchester. Very passionate about the theatre, she and her friends put up plays as children, and she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (using her earnings from The Swish of the Curtain).

This book was first published in 1947, and is being republished by Pushkin Press on 25 June 2019.

#22 Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
First in a fantasy series, this book has been compared to Harry Potter, and is one I’ve been hearing so much about, and was very much looking forward to reading. Morrigan Crow is cursed, and as a result blamed for pretty much everything that happens (or rather goes wrong) in her town of Jackalfax. Her father Corvus Crow is a politician, who doesn’t really want her, but must pay for all the damage her curse is alleged to have caused. People in the town take advantage of this position raising all sorts of ridiculous (and clearly false) claims holding her responsible for things like for ruining their batch of marmalade or even weather changes, but Corvus must pay for the ‘damage’ since there is no way of proving that the curse had nothing to do with these occurrences. Anyway, her curse means that she is slated to die on Eventide, her eleventh birthday, but when the time comes, she finds herself magically transported to a whole other world, Nevermoor, by a remarkable man called Jupiter North, and given an opportunity to enter trials with other gifted children to become a member of the Wundrous Society. But she must pass the trials first (where there are some very talented competitors, all of whom don’t play fair), and any slip could mean being banished from Nevermoor forever, and back to her fate—death.

I expected to really love this book and I wanted to love it too but sadly, this didn’t happen for me. That said, I don’t mean that I disliked the book, there was a lot I really liked about it. The whole world of Nevermoor was a little hard for me to get my mind around—and I couldn’t form a clear picture of it in my head—as was the case with the magic that worked there (what the system was, how it worked and such). These elements will probably be developed in the other books but still, I would have liked to form a better idea of it. But there were things that I liked such as the Deucaulion Hotel, of which Jupiter North is proprietor, and the magic that works there, the interesting rooms (and characters) within it—I think there will be more secrets there that will be revealed as we go on. I also loved the Christmas celebrations—these kind of reminded me of Harry Potter—Christmas for Morrigan within Nevermoor versus what they had at home (as did the broad idea of a child who was not wanted at home, blamed for everything, versus this magical world where people want to be her friend; and so did the story of the ‘villain’). Of the characters, Morrigan herself was just ok for me. I wanted her to do well, but more for the sake of seeing what the challenge would be like, what the next one entailed and such, than for her winning. I did like her friend, Hawthorne, and loved Fenestra. The plot was fun enough, the various challenges were interesting but again, not may be something that ‘blew me away’ so to speak (the first I liked the best). While the ‘mystery’ element which was building up throughout regarding Morrigan, did have an element of surprise when it was revealed, the actual reveal didn’t turn out to be as magical or as much of a spectacle as I was expecting. The latter part of the book, where various secrets were uncovered, were far more engrossing for me than the initial parts. So this was over all a good read, imaginative and enjoyable though I would rate it at around a 3.75 for me.

#23 The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
The first of a trilogy, the Cruel Prince tells the story of Jude who with her twin Taryn and older sister Vivi(enne) are brought to live in Faerie after her parents are brutally killed. Brought up among the gentry, as mortals, Jude and Taryn are still looked down upon by many, particularly the youngest prince Cardan and his minions, who lose no opportunity to torment them, especially Jude since she won’t take their actions lying down. Having only Faerie to call her own, Jude wants nothing more than to belong, and to give a fitting reply to her tormentors, becoming a knight is her dream. Taryn on the other hand, wishes to more conventionally, fall in love and marry. When Jude’s hopes don’t seem like they’re panning out as she’d like, she begins to take other steps to gain the power she craves (and perhaps needs). But in taking these steps, she also begins to get involved in the politics and power games that are at play in Faerie, and she finds herself playing an important role—in things that may affect the future of Faerie itself.

This was such an exciting and engrossing read and I enjoyed myself thoroughly reading every bit of it. While initially we focus on their life at home, lessons, and the battles with Cardan and his crew, once (view spoiler)[Jude become a spy (hide spoiler)], things really begin to pick up, and there is literally something happening all the time. There is politics, espionage, conspiracies, betrayal, violence and bloodshed (also the inevitable romance or the beginnings of one), and so many twists and turns that one doesn’t really know what’s coming. There are also plenty of secrets that are revealed as we go along (only one of which I’d guessed), so there’s excitement aplenty. Jude is a character one doesn’t always approve of (mostly one does), but certainly one that keeps the reader interested throughout. She is vulnerable, scared because the Faerie folk can harm, hurt, humble her but that doesn’t make her cow down, instead, she is ever more emboldened to fight back, to show her enemies that she may fall but will never give up. Cardan too, despite his cruelty is an interesting character, who one can see from pretty much the start has more shades to him than what are visible at that point. Madoc too, even if his actions are not all one can approve of, is a person, I still found myself liking more than disliking. Vivi, her older sister, is very likeable, and I also loved little Oak. There are others that are outright cruel like the older Prince Balekin, and some others who one dislikes too (naming all would be spoilers). I also enjoyed reading about court life, the parties, and all the clothes and such. I found this so entertaining that I ordered the next one before I’d even finished. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

#24 The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon
This book tells the story of two very different people, Natasha, who doesn’t believe in dreams or fate or destiny but in hard facts, and science, and who with her family is about to be deported to Jamaica with the rest of her family as they are illegal immigrants. She is making a last ditch attempt to get them to stay by visiting immigration services. On the other side, there is Daniel, Korean-American, who writes poetry and is unsure what he really wants to do in life, but his parents expect him to go to Yale, become a doctor, and achieve the ‘American dream’. As Natasha heads off to meet the immigration authorities, and Daniel to his alumni interview for Yale, they meet each other, and seem to be destined for each other. We follow them through the course of the day, as Natasha tries to push away what she is feeling (especially since she is about to be deported) and Daniel tries to convince her otherwise.

The basic story about two unlikely people, very different from each other, meeting by chance and falling in love (that too when neither of their parents are likely to approve of the other) sounds like the typical one, but the way that it is written is what set it apart and made it a very enjoyable read for me. I vaguely knew that the story was told from both their povs and was expecting a shift in voices and perspectives, but what was more interesting was how we see not only their stories but how their storylines interact with other people as well as the concepts/factors that come into it, their families, the security guard that checks Natasha as she heads into Immigration Services, her attorney, the significance of particular things to their community like hair and hairstyles, even fate. This structure was something I’ve never come across before and made a story which I may not have normally read a really interesting read for me. Both Daniel and Natasha are very likeable, and while their families may be far from perfect, one gets to understand as we read (with the exception of one character) why they are the way they are. Wonderful book with an ending I really liked as well.

Two amazing books, I loved them both! I'm excited to pick up The Wicked King after the ending of Cruel Prince, the story really gripped me!

Natália wrote: "Two amazing books, I loved them both! I'm excited to pick up The Wicked King after the ending of Cruel Prince, the story really gripped me!"

Me too- I was having such a good time reading Cruel Prince, I ordered Wicked King which is arriving today so I might just start it tonight!

#25 The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh
My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere books for a review copy of this book.

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first in a trilogy, the Marquess House trilogy, and is a mystery/thriller that unfolds in two parallel timelines. After a brief prologue setting out some events in 1542 Pembrokeshire, we come to the present day where historian–archaeologist, Dr Perdita Rivers working at an undersea site where a sunken ship, possibly from the Armada, has been found is told that her estranged grandmother, an eminent historian Mary Fitzroy has died, and that her and her twin sister, Piper are left heirs to her estate. She soon discovers that her estate is not only vast including the imposing Marquess House, but also includes treasures in the form of the books and documents that Marquess House is home to including its own legacy and the results of her grandmother’s research. As she begins to look into this, she begins to uncover the secrets that Marquess House hides (which connect to Catherine Howard) as well as much that has been hidden in her and Piper’s life. In this, she is helped by her grandmother’s lawyer and friend, Alistair Mackensie and his family, particularly, his youngest son, Kit. Alongside, back in the sixteenth century, we follow Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth queen, from the time she enters the palace as maid-in-waiting to Anne of Cleeves, catches Henry’s eye, and becomes his queen. But as queen she is caught between the ageing and increasing violent Henry, who acts entirely on his whim, and her own family the Howards, particularly the Duke of Norfolk who wants his own ambitions for the Howard family realised through her. Having seen the fate that befell her cousin Anne Boleyn, Catherine must live in fear nearly every step of the way, and can rely only on a few to protect her.

Some aspects of the book when it begins, and the comparisons with Dan Brown, kind of gave me a clue as to the direction in which the plot was headed, so when I started, my enthusiasm was kind of dampened, but as I read on and the two storylines unfolded with the present-day characters uncovering various secrets, I began to get absorbed in the plot and want to keep reading on to see what they would find next, and how they would get to the answer to the mystery. I also enjoyed the historical part of the story as it played out (though there were certain scenes, describing Henry’s brutality and depravations which were a bit too gruesome for my liking—may be a little less detail would have worked better for me here). The author has taken historical events and characters and given them her own interpretation. So, many of the characters, Catherine Howard, Lady Rochford, and Norfolk, in particular, have different personalities than one is (or at least I was) used to from other fiction (even, non-fiction) set in the era. How much of this interpretation is true (the conspiracy is fiction of course, as the author says), I can’t tell but it was certainly an interesting spin on events, and told in a fast paced, and exciting manner. The main character, Dr Perdita Rivers, I didn’t really take to so much, in the sense that I felt her a little too naïve in many situations; also I felt even when the answer to some things seemed to stare her in the face, she took a page or two longer to get to it. While this book solves part of the mystery, there is a further thread to explore which is probably where the next one will pick up, and I am excited to see how that turns out. An exciting read which I would have enjoyed far more if the secrets unveiled would have really taken me by surprise.

The book released on 28 March 2019!

#26 The Wicked King by Holly Black
Second in the Folk of the Air series, I read this almost as soon as I’d finished the first one. This review does have spoilers for book 1 so I’m marking some of it as a spoiler.

(view spoiler)[Politics continues to play out in this book as Jude has managed to set up Cardan as High King of Faerie so that she can keep Oak safe till he is ready to take the throne. But she soon discovers that being the power behind the throne is no easy job. She has much to contend with—there are threats from other kingdoms, especially the Undersea, Madoc is unhappy with his plans having been foiled, the bargains she made to get her way are being called on, and she is still the target of the Faerie folk’s tricks and ridicule, despite the power she has. Meanwhile, in prison, Balekin too is plotting revenge. Jude discovers that someone close to her will betray her (yet again, since one person certainly did so in book 1), but isn’t quite sure who this could be. Unlike perhaps in the Cruel Prince where the political games begin some way in (although Jude is attempting to gain power right from the start), this one is a political game or rather games all through—spies, betrayal, violence and bloodshed continue, as does the romance thread (I like that it’s secondary to to the main plotline), but even in that there are surprises. (hide spoiler)]

Like the Cruel Prince, this book too kept me hooked throughout. Once again, there are twists and turns and surprises around every corner, and one really doesn’t see what’s coming or where the story will take you, for that matter. Not only the plot, but the characters too surprise one all the time. There is betrayal from quarters that I didn’t see coming, and one character who I should have expected a certain kind of behaviour from, once again took me by surprise. Cardan himself manages to do this in many ways than one. He manages to get his own way in many things despite being bound in vows, and at the end shows a side of him, which one wouldn’t have expected. Jude I thought dealt with situations fairly well, even if she did find herself to be a little out of her depth. This was a really gripping and enjoyable instalment in the series, and I can’t wait to see how the story shapes up in the final instalment. I made the mistake of reading the excerpt and there it was, yet another shocking twist! 4.5 stars!

#27 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This is the story of identical twins, Cath and Wren, who apart from their looks are as different as chalk and cheese. Wren is outgoing, social, while Cath lives in her own world which is essentially being eternally or almost eternally lost in the world of fanfiction which she writes about the Harry-Potter-like Simon Snow and Tyrannus Basilton Pitch ‘Baz’, which is very popular online. But they have always done everything together. When they head off to University, Wren wants to break off from Cath, live her own life, drinking and partying, and while Cath simply wants to continue as she always has. But the fact that she is on her own means she will have to meet and interact with new people. And so we follow them (essentially, Cath) as they navigate their first year of college.

This was a fairly cute story, about a character that I definitely could relate to (Cath)—though I don’t read or write fanfic but am as reclusive or almost as her (well past college)—but overall an average read for me. I enjoyed the fanfiction and Simon Snow excerpts, also Cath and Wren’s story, their relationship with their parents, and did feel for Cath when Wren just didn’t/couldn’t see things from her pov. But despite these elements, it just didn’t grab me so very much, so just an ok read.

#28 The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyushita
My thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse UK for a review copy of the book. This is a Japanese novel translated into English by Philip Gabriel (who has also translated Murakami).

The Forest of Wool and Steel tells us the story of a young man Tomura. As a high school student, Tomura was deputed one day to conduct a piano tuner, Mr Itadori to the school gym to tune the piano. Hearing him work, more specifically the sounds that he manages to produce, evokes in his mind images of the forest at nightfall, the forest being the one place where Tomura feels welcome and at peace. This experience affects him so deeply that he decides to train as a piano tuner, even though he has so far never played the piano, nor has much of a ear for music. Once he completes his course, he joins the same company where Mr Itadori works in Hokkaido, and it is here that we follow him as he learns from each little experience—attempts at tuning on his own, accompanying his mentor Mr Yanagi, and other senior tuners from the firm (including the not-so-pleasant Mr Akino), or simply from hearing performances, whether at a concert hall or in a home, as different players (clients) approach the piano differently and require different things from it. In all this, his quest is not simply to become a master tuner or a specific kind of tuner but to achieve the kind of sublime sound from his work that Mr Itadori had, and which inspired him to take up this course in the first place. Among his various clients are twins Yuni and Kazune who are sixth form students, and whose journey with the piano is in a way entwined with Tomura’s own.

This book was an interesting read, and while nothing major happens—we are basically following Tomura through his everyday experiences, seeing him learn something new about turning though each visit to a client or each observation of another tuner—yet, at no point did I get bored or feel that the book was dragging. In fact, one feels as though one is learning with Tomura, experiencing each little lesson with him, on the quest with him to become good at his work. Throughout, Tomura is plagued by self-doubt wondering if he will ever be good enough, be able to get past the technicalities and achieve what he is looking for, revising at times, what he thinks his goal should be—this is something that I could (and am sure others would too) relate with because it is about trying to be the best that you can be at something you love, and in that, one does experience these feelings. For Tomura, besides questioning his own abilities, he is constantly considering who he is tuning for—the client, the audience, or perhaps, the instrument itself? Reading this book, something that will strike you throughout is how knowledgeable the author is, not only about the piano and music but about various nuances of tuning—humidity, whether the curtains in a room are open or closed, even the height of the stool of the player are as likely to affect sound as parts of the piano like its hammers and strings. We learn a little of the instrument’s history as well—and all of this knowledge flows naturally though the text, no information dump here. Another aspect which makes this book very pleasant to read is the images and sounds that are invoked when one reads it—Tomura is often thinking of the forest (he was brought up in a mountain village)—all very prettily described. A pleasant read about the quest to be the best in one’s calling! (Also, it hardly feels like one is reading a translation.)

The book has won several prizes in Japan and has also been turned into a film.

The book releases on 25 April 2019!

#29 Blue Door Venture by Pamela Brown
My thanks to NetGalley and Steerforth Press/Pushkin Press for a review copy of this book.

This is book 4 in Pamela Brown’s Blue Door series about a group of children, now young adults, who had set up an amateur theatre in their town of Fenchester (based on her home town of Colchester), and after training at drama school have taken their little venture professional. After running the Blue Door theatre as a repertory company for a few months with encouraging but slow results, the Blue Doors happen to come across a young man named Lucky who works his way into the company as their Box Office man when old Mr Chubb falls ill. But while he is very active and does a lot of good for the business increasing their earnings, one fine day he disappears, and with him all the money that the Blue Doors had made off their Christmas pantomime. Now, they can no longer pay off their loan, nor keep the theatre open. And their nemesis Mrs Potter-Smith is losing no opportunity to raise obstacles in their way or cast aspersions. Does this mean their dream of running a repertory company is at an end? The police don’t seem to be getting anywhere in tracing Lucky so the Blue Doors decide that it is up to them to do it. While Maddy has to return to the Academy, it is decided that the three boys with pursue Lucky while the girls will get jobs and earn enough to keep the venture going.

This was once again an exciting and fun instalment in the series. While at the start we are entirely immersed in theatre life with the Blue Doors, as they deal with day-to-day problems and with the loan that hangs over their head, to run the theatre which requires constant investment which they can’t at that moment afford. Once again, the experiences and struggles that the children have in running the theatre are very real, and while they try to handle everything as best they can, and do falter from time to time, one is still a little in awe of how they manage to run a professional company at such a young age. Once Lucky strikes, the story turns into more of an adventure as the boys begin to trace him to different places. While the chase may be fun, it isn’t easy as they must manage on what little money they have going without enough food or rest for days. The connect with the theatre remains, however, through the girls’ experiences as they get different jobs and try to help the boys as best they can. This part is very exciting reading (taking one into an Enid Blyton, Famous Five-ish story) as one sees them pick up each little clue, and follow Lucky, trying to pin him down and get back their money, and of course also makes it different from the other entries in the series. This was a fast paced, quick (I finished it pretty much in a day) and fun read which I thoroughly enjoyed (as I did the earlier books in the series). I can’t wait to see what they get upto next, though it would seem the only book left in the series focuses once again on Maddy’s adventures (like Book 2).

This book was first published in 1949 and is being republished by Pushkin Press on 23 July 2019!

#30 Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston
Robert ‘Bobbie’ Cheldon is twenty-three, jobless and incapable of doing work, spoiled rotten by his mother Ruby Cheldon, and brought up in the expectation of inheriting his uncle, Massy Cheldon’s substantial estate (with an income of ten thousand a year). But Massy has a good few years, may be decades, before him yet. Bobbie however has fallen in love with a very pretty but not too talented dancer Nancy Curzon, who dances at a nightclub called the Frozen Fang. And the only way she will accept his suit is if he has a fortune—now! The only solution his mother and uncle have for the present is for him to get a job which they ensure he gets, but he must start at the bottom of the ladder. And Bobbie doesn’t want to work. However, he is also too much of a namby pamby to think murder, well may be not think it, but carry it out at any rate. But the murder does happen, and Bobbie, wittingly or unwittingly becomes involved, for there are unsavoury elements, friends of Nancy, among them ex-pugilist Nosey Ruslin, happy to nudge him in that direction, since it would be sure to give them a golden-egg-laying goose. And Bobbie is too young and foolish to see what’s coming. When the murder takes place, Chief Inspector Wake of Scotland Yard is given charge of the case, and while he is quick to work out who may be involved, he must find the requisite connections and proof, and the extent that each person he suspects is indeed involved, and this starts a sort of battle of wits with Nosey Ruslin. How will the Inspector put the clues together, and does he manage to do it as quickly as he thinks he can?

This certainly wasn’t a conventional murder mystery since we knew who the victim was and who plotted the murder, but it was still surprisingly interesting reading throughout. In the initial parts, as I said, while it is clear who the intended victim is, and who could be the possible killer, one can’t be very sure whether the murder will actually take place and how, though when it does, we have sufficient warning. And then, while we know who has been plotting the murder, we don’t know immediately who actually did the deed, so this remains a bit of a mystery. Once Chief Inspector Wake comes into the picture, the story for me got even more interesting as one begins to see how he acts on both intuition and evidence, preferring human clues who can reveal things to the more traditional understanding of clues, though even these turn out to help him in more than one way. Watching Nosey and the Inspector pit their wits against each other, even when we ‘know’ Wake will come out victorious turned out to be good fun. And the end, well, that has its own little surprises in store as the characters get their just desserts in a way one didn’t see coming (though there was a hint along the way). Even in terms of the investigation, things turn out quite differently than what I expected, and I was left wondering whether any of the characters really ‘won’. So this turned out to be mystery that wasn’t a mystery and yet had plenty to surprise me when I read it. Entertaining and fun!

#31 Arnica, the Duck Princess by Ervin Lázár
My thanks to NetGalley and Steerforth Press/Pushkin Press for a digital review copy of this book.

This is an English translation of a Hungarian classic children’s tale, first published in 1981 and now being printed by Pushkin Press. The translator is Anna Bentley and the book has been illustrated by Jacueline Molnár.

King Tirunt lives in a palace by a round lake, a palace with thirty-six towers and three hundred windows. He is a just ruler, punishing only those who deserve it, and taking precautions (very great ones) against giving orders when he is in a temper, that is to say, he ensures they aren’t followed and locks himself in his throne room while he is in a temper. With him lives his daughter Arnica, a very special princess, “so sweet and gentle that when she smile[s], wolves and bears forget their fierceness”. King Tirunt wishes that Arnica would marry the person she loves and does not mind who he is or where he is from. Into their lives comes just such a person, Poor Johnny. Poor Johnny has nothing except the clothes on his back and is “footloose and fancy-free”—not only that, he wants nothing either which means that the Witch of a Hundred Faces fails to entrap him (she must enslave a new person every seven years to retain her magical powers), despite the untold wealth and riches she offers. Making his escape (she does pursue him with magic, when he simply walks away) Johnny meets Arnica and they fall in love. But the King wants to be sure before he gives his consent, and makes them wait six months. When this period is up and they are awaiting Johnny’s arrival, the witch acts, casting a spell, as a result of which it turns out that at any given time, either Arnica or Johnny must be a duck. Now they much find a way out, and they don’t mind whether both are ducks or humans but they want to be the same thing at the same time. So off they set to seek the Seven-headed Fairy, the only one who can free them of the curse. Along the way, they meet various people, each with their own oddities, and problems, and change their lives as they move on.

The story is told in third person, and off and on, there is also some dialogue between the narrator and the person he is telling the story to. This gives it the feel of a traditional storytelling style.

I found this to be a really pleasant and cute read. This is a fairly short (just 96 pages) book and a great deal of fun. Being a children’s classic, there are hidden messages of course, but it isn’t preachy or forced down your throat. All of the people they encounter, in fact, find that the solution to their problems lies within themselves, just a change of attitude or approach is called for. And that is what the book tries to tell its readers. Also, the story/stories are told in an amusing way, some episodes more than others, like the Witch’s frustration when Johnny fails to be lured by treasure or the story of Tig-Tag the robber, which was very good fun. I also liked that despite the various little troubles Arnica and Johnny fall into on their adventure, there is no melodrama or exaggeration. Arnica and Johnny are very likeable; Johnny, in fact, reminded me a little of a Grimm’s character in the story ‘Hans in Luck’ where too, the ‘hero’ attaches little to material possessions.

The book has some really colourful illustrations. These reminded me (the style) somewhat of the illustrations for Dunno (by Boris Kalushin) though the ones in this book aren’t as delicate. I loved the colours, also the patterns used, the animals, flowers, trees, etc. but while I didn’t much care for the human beings (illustrations) in the book at the start (they felt a little clumpy), even these kind of grew on me as I read on. (See cover above)

A charming and cute read.

#32 The Mitford Girls: The Biography of an Extraordinary Family by Mary S. Lovell
I first heard of the Mitfords after ‘discovering’ Nancy Mitford’s books in a book group I became part of on Shelfari. Having read almost all of her novels (not the bios yet), I became vaguely aware of the family, and the rather divergent viewpoints the sisters held but knew next to nothing about them. This bio seemed a great place to remedy that, and it did in an excellent way. Mary S Lovell takes us through the lives of this truly extraordinary family. The six Mitford sisters, Nancy, Pam, Diana, Unity, Decca, and Debo, and their brother Tom were children of Lord Redesdale, and his wife Sydney. They had little education (which they held against their mother, but this was true for Agatha Christie too and makes me begin to think that perhaps, this isn’t such a bad thing after all), and normal (ish) childhoods, but once they grew older, Diana, Decca, and Unity in particular developed very strong political views, Decca towards communism, and Unity and Diana towards Fascism, which led to clashes and even rifts which between some of the sisters (Decca and Diana, particularly) remained unresolved till the end. Pam who took to farming, and Debo the youngest who went on to become the Duchess of Devonshire were perhaps the most ‘normal’. All the sisters, more or less wrote, Nancy being known for her novels and bios, Decca for Hons and Rebels (both sisters caricaturing their family and friends in some way or other; Decca also wrote many other books and articles for instance on the funeral industry in America); even Diana and Debo have a handful of books to their credit. Their relationships with each other weren’t always easy largely because of the politics but also because of their nature, and not all of them found happiness in their personal lives. Still, they led rather interesting lives to say the least, with friends and acquaintances ranging from Hitler to JFK, Evelyn Waugh to Maya Angelou. I thought Lovell did a fairly good job trying to be neutral when telling the sisters’ stories, leaving it to the reader to make up their minds, but I don’t know whether she entirely manages to do that. But all the same, book was a fascinating and enjoyable read about a very interesting family.

#33 The Priory by Dorothy Whipple
This was my first time reading Dorothy Whipple and I enjoyed it very much. The Priory of the title is Saunby Priory which became a residence after the dissolution. In our story it is inhabited by the Marwoods, who have lived there some generations, and it is their stories that we follow in the book. The owner, Major Marwood has little idea how to manage the property, and its earnings have been falling regularly. All he does is put off bills and economise, except when it comes to his own comforts and cricket, no expense being spared on the latter. In the Priory also live his two grown up daughters, Christine and Penelope, who continue to stay in the nursery since no one has bothered to bring them out (though they are part of social life in the village), and his spinster sister Victoria, an artist, who is in charge of the house, but simply lets it run itself. Life for them is far from ideal but each is comfortable and happy in their own way. Then the Major decides to remarry, and the diffident Anthea enters their realm. Soon after Christine finds love in Nicholas Ashwell, a cricketer from a wealthy family but whose father is far too controlling even if good intentioned. Marriages take place, babies are born, life for the Priory and its inhabitants changes far too quickly, as they and those that come into their lives have different ideas of marriage, love, family, and life itself. There are misunderstandings and tiffs, and as in real life some are resolved while others lead to different outcomes than one expects. When starting the book, I wondered if this would turn out to be a ‘feel good’/ ‘happily ever after’ kind of story, but while it was partly that, it largely very real, and the paths that their lives take, the choices they make, and indeed they themselves are that too. While the book largely concentrates on the personal stories of the characters, the year being 1939 (when it was published as well), the shadow of war looms large (especially in the second part). The book stops at the point where the threat seems to have been averted and the characters breathe a sigh of relief, but one can’t help thinking of what really happened, and how the plans they make and the hopes they have may never have come true. This was a very good read, which certainly kept me engrossed, but does leave one feeling a touch melancholy because of what did happen at that point in time. 4.5 stars.

#34 Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield
Professor Mathew Brown or Great Uncle Mathew or Gum, lives with his niece Sylvia and her nurse Nana, and from time to time takes off on expeditions from where he brings back fossils, adding to a huge collection which has to be thinned down from time to time. One day he decides to travel by sea rather than land, and from three of these voyages brings back three little babies, either orphaned or whose parents are unable to take care of them, and these three little girls are Pauline, Petrova, and Posy (who comes with a pair of ballet shoes her mother gave her). They take on the surname Fossil, for that is what ties them together. But while Pauline dreams of being an actress, and Posy can be nothing but a dancer (she is one), Petrova is happiest with cars and engines. Gum hasn’t returned from his latest expedition for long nor has been heard from, and money is tight, so Sylvia decides to take in boarders, and this leads not only to the children making new friends, but also entering the Children’s Academy of Dancing, where Pauline and Posy are happy, and Petrova simply does all that is required of her so that she can begin earning and support the house as soon as possible (that is at age 12, when no other option would be available to them). We join them on their journey at the academy as their train to hone their different talents, begin their careers on the stage, and try to get their names into history books!

What a charming and lovely story this was. I loved all the characters—the three girls are all very likeable, and even when they have their difficult moments or sulks, they essentially remain nice girls; Nana is sensible, yet not too strict; Sylvia is also very young and must struggle to keep things going. The boarders—the Simpsons, a couple back home from Malaysia, Theo, who teaches at the Academy, and the two doctors (of literature and mathematics, respectively)—are very likeable too, and one loves how all of them begin to become a big family, though each of them lead their own lives. The girls’ time and experiences at the Academy reminded me very much of the other series from the 1940s that I’ve been reading, The Blue Door series by Pamela Brown. The hard work that goes into training and into the roles themselves, the fact that success can go to one’s head very easily and fall from it can be truly hard, and of course, the joys that little successes and opportunities can bring. This was a really gentle and sweet story which I truly enjoyed reading. The lovely illustrations by Ruth Gervis add a lot to its charm. Loved it!

#35 The Tale of Genji: Dreams at Dawn: Vol 1 by Waki Yamato
My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for a review copy of this one.

This is the first volume of the graphic novel/manga version of the eleventh-century Japanese classic, The Tale of Genji by noblewoman Murasaki Shibaku (believed to be the first novel ever written). It tells the story of Hiraku Genji the ‘shining prince’, son of the Emperor Kiritsubo, and a low-ranking lady at court who the Emperor falls deeply in love with. When his mother does, Genji is sent to his grandmother, and later brought back after her death. In the meantime, the Emperor hears of a young lady, Princess Fujitsubo who resembles Genji’s deceased mother, and she soon becomes his wife. But Genji ends up falling in love with her. His forbidden love and his estranged relationship with his wife lead him to seek the woman of his dreams elsewhere, and he ends up falling in love with a series of different women. This first volume of the manga series takes us through part of the story, giving us the tale of Genji’s mother, his initial years as a child, and the stories of some of the women he falls in love with.

Before I write about the story itself, I have to mention the artwork which is really gorgeous. I especially loved the coloured pages at start of the book and at the beginning of each chapter. These are really delicate and beautiful (faces and costumes), and reminded me quite a bit of the very first anime/manga I ever saw on TV Fushigi Yugi/Curious Play.

Back to the actual story, this was I thought a great way for someone like me, who’s heard about Genji but never read it to get a glimpse of what the story is about, in a fairly simple way (The book is supposed to be quite confusing and complicated, so far as I know). The book also gives one an idea of what court life, especially that of nobles and royalty would have been like at that point—customs, etiquette, leisure activities (poetry, music, games), and even love. That said, though I don’t know if it is a story that would appeal to me as a story though I would may be have read it as a classic work. Genji is a complex character certainly, but I didn’t find him a very likeable one. But then again, if he wasn’t as ‘lost’ as he was (or at least not as unaware about what he was looking for), there would be no story. Also, even in the manga version, there were points at which I found myself a little bit confused as to some of the female characters (who was who and such). There is however a helpful character guide at the back (which I should probably have consulted then).

This version isn’t simply an adaptation of the original text into art, but the author has imagined her own Tale of Genji, creating her own dialogue, associating different flowers and foods with the different women, etc., as she explains at the end. I think the author has done a great job translating the story into this much simpler version, with her own interpretation of the characters and conversations, and the book certainly succeeds in giving first time readers like me a broad idea of this classic. This was a good read, though not a great one for me as despite the lovely artwork which I enjoyed very much, and the author’s efforts that I certainly admired and appreciated, the story wasn’t something that really drew me in. (However, I would like to know where Genji ends up, so will probably continue with the manga version.) 3.5 stars.

This manga version was first published in the 1980s, and was published in English on 26 February 2019 in digital form.

#36 Mr Finchley Discovers His England by Victor Canning
My thanks to NetGalley and Farrago Books for a digital review copy of this book.

First published in 1934, Mr Finchley Discovers His England is the first in a series of (I think) three books featuring Mr Finchley, a forty-five-year-old bachelor, who works as a solicitor’s clerk in London. When one of his bosses Mr Bardwell dies, and the office is taken over by his partner Mr Sprake, there comes an unexpected change in Mr Finchley’s life. For the first time since Mr Finchley was employed, he finds himself getting a three-week holiday. So of course, as holidays must usually be, he books himself into a hotel at Margate. But when he is waiting to catch his train, a man asks him to watch his Bentley, which Mr Finchley agrees to do but he falls asleep in the process. When his eyes next open, the car is being driven, away and Mr Finchley finds himself kidnapped. He is unnerved but decides to take the experience as an adventure, one he could have never had in his normal life. From here, he manages to make his escape. And with this starts a holiday completely unlike what Mr Finchley could have ever imagined. Mr Finchley traipses across the country, soaking in nature, meeting interesting people and having a series of unforeseen adventures. He falls in with tramps, artists, travellers, and gypsies, ends up taking jobs at a fair and selling petrol, being mistaken for a vagrant and a lunatic, is almost strangled, plays cricket and even takes to smuggling! His adventures change his life completely, so much so that there is likely to be a change in his everyday life too.

This was such a fun, charming read, with gentle humour and a very likeable set of characters. Something like Three Men in a Boat but without the slapstick. What I really liked about Mr Finchley as a character was how open he was to each new adventure, to each new experience, and how ready he was to enjoy every thing that came his way, irked sometimes (only initially), but never complaining or grumbling much, rather relishing every moment. The people he meets have interesting stories (unlike Mr Finchley’s own which is rather ordinary untill this adventure begins), some sad, some simply unusual, and while not all are honest and straightforward, they certainly are far from the ordinary. I also loved how away from grey London, Mr Finchley gets to really immerse himself in nature, whether it be the birds around, or the sea, or the moors, there is a certain peace about the places he spends time at which transfers itself to the reader as well. My first acquaintance with Mr Finchley and Victor Canning’s work was really delightful. Looking forward to more in the future.

The book was published on 18 April 2019!

#37 Circe by Madeline Miller
Definitely worth all the hype surrounding it. This is the story of Circe, who I’d come before across reading the Odyssey where she turns most of Odysseus’s crew into pigs when he visits her island Aiaia, and in The Sea of Monsters where, as CC, she changes men into guinea pigs in her modern avatar! This is Circe is her original setting, born as a daughter to Helios the sun god, one of the few titans left amidst the Olympians. Circe looks and sounds different from her siblings, more mortal than goddess and must bear their scorn as a result. Unlike the gods, she feels for those in trouble or pain, including mortals, who the gods enjoy tormenting for their pleasure or the offerings they receive. She may not have divine powers but she does have powers of witchcraft, and when she falls in love she uses these powers resulting in her being exiled to Aiaia. Here she lives somewhat free, and yet subject to the gods’ whims when sometimes nymphs who haven’t behaved too well are sent there as punishment. Here she hones her skills of witchcraft and lives her life as best as she can. But she must bear the brunt of being a woman who lives independently, goddesses or not, and learn to recognise the true character of gods and mortals.

I really enjoyed this version of Circe’s story which casts her as an underdog of sorts, one different from everyone else and therefore not given their value or their share of love (though with the gods as they are, I doubt even the ones that ‘fit in’ find any actual love). While she can cast powerful spells and protect herself, she also yearns to be loved, by her family, by the mortals she falls in love with, yet none react as she would have them. Yet she is ever willing to lend a hand, though she can as well put people and gods in their place or at least check them when she needs to. She is like mortals perhaps, both strong and vulnerable, to my mind even a little too saintly at times. But even so, I liked her as a character mostly, and I liked how Miller weaves the different legends about her, and those related to her in one way or other into a complete tale. This was also surprisingly pretty fast paced and I also enjoyed the writing very much. The ending took me completely by surprise--loved it! Great read for me 4.5 stars.

#38 Muhammad Bin Tughlaq: Tale of a Tyrant by Anuja Chandramouli
My thanks to the author, and Penguin RandomHouse India for a review copy of this book.

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (reign 1325–1351) was the second ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty, which ruled over a large part of the country described as the Delhi Sultanate, ruled over by five different dynasties, the Mamluks, Khaljis, and Tughlaqs among them.

This book opens in a period of turmoil around the Delhi/Dilli throne when after the demise of Alauddin Khalji, his son Mubarak Shah has proved to be a disappointment, wasting his opportunity on the throne on his own pleasures and debauchery with the result that he has been murdered and the throne taken over by Nasiruddin Khusrau Shah, one of Khalji’s generals. In his capital, young Jauna Khan, son of Ghazi Malik, is a hostage of sorts, though officially Master of the Horse. But he is courageous and manages to make his escape and join his father, who goes on to found the Tughlaq dynasty as Ghiasuddin Tughlaq. His father’s death on return from one of his campaigns sees Jauna ascend the throne as Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, but the circumstances of the death mean that Muhammad will always be suspected of patricide. As the Sultan, Muhammad was a visionary, attempting a series of innovations from shifting his capital, to introducing currency—minting coins of base metals with higher value—and also had other radical ideas including pertaining faith and tolerance which were ahead of his time and did not sit well with his officials or people, despite his own good intentions. Unfortunately for him, most of his schemes and a few of his campaigns failed, and he is remembered as cruel or mad rather than for his ideas. In telling his story, the author explores all of these facets of his personality and of his life, as he goes from being Prince Jauna to Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq to the Mad Monarch amidst a few (his mother and sister) who loved and genuinely cared for him to others like his officials who didn’t really seem to understand him, and still others who were ever ready to betray.

This is the third book of historical fiction I’ve read by the author and it was my favourite so far. I really liked how she’s presented Muhammad (from whose point of view the story is told) as a person—a powerful monarch, yes, but not as someone good or bad or classifiable into clear cut categories, but rather an interesting but much misunderstood person, with ideas much ahead of his time, whether it be his innovations or his interest in interacting with those from other parts of the world. He is cruel certainly and the tortures he perpetrated on those who crossed him were horrifying but I felt it was no less so than other monarchs—the Mughals after him or Henry the VIII for that matter (which is not to say that those actions were not despicable but just that they weren’t extraordinarily so). (Incidentally, while in some of the author’s earlier books, I found what I called the ‘gory bits’ a bit much for me, here while they were still disturbing to read (as they should be), I didn’t feel that they were out of place where they were included.) Also he acts on his whims at times which again was characteristic of so many monarchs (and people generally). But from the overall portrait that this book paints, the feeling one comes away with is some level of sympathy for a man who certainly deserved better than he got.

Of the themes the author explores in the book, the one that stands out throughout is the need for tolerance for difference, whether it be of faith or other aspects—this is something that is relevant even in the current context and yet a lesson that people refuse to learn.

I enjoyed the author’s writing and descriptions, especially of celebratory occasions like his sister Khuda’s wedding—the vivid pictures she paints make one feel like one is there viewing the ceremonies and celebrations oneself. In some places, though, I felt some word choices were a touch modern and didn’t quite fit the historical context/atmosphere in the book. But while parts of the story and Muhammad’s personality might be as the author imagined them, the research that has gone into the book shows.

Another small complaint I had with the book was something I felt with her earlier historical book, Prithviraj Chauhan as well—in a work of historical fiction, especially when a monarch and his kingdom is the centre of discussion, including a map/s of the Sultanate as it was in the period or periods being written of would have made the reading experience better as one could have immediately referred to it to see what places or areas were being spoken of. The second element which would also have been helpful was a list of characters mentioned or even a family tree/s. The first chapter of the book where the author describes the situation of the Delhi throne after Khalji’s death, numerous characters are mentioned, not all of whom one was familiar with and I found it a little confusing to keep who was who straight in my mind. I realise that many of these (in fact, most) don’t really come up again in the story, but still a cast of characters describing people in the different dynasties would have helped keep things clearer.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book which presented many facets of a very interesting historical personality. A solid 4 stars.

#39 Mary Shelley by David Vandermeulen, Daniel Casanave, and Patrice Larcenet

My thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a review copy of this book.

This graphic novel is the second volume on Shelley’s life (I read and reviewed the first a few months ago), and written from the point Mary Shelley takes more of a centre stage in the ‘story’, picks up in 1814, where the first volume left off. Percy had fallen in love with Mary Godwin, and with her and her sister Claire Clairmont were about to elope. As this story opens, the four travel to Europe, struggling with money troubles, and living an itinerant life, and seeking adventure. In Europe, first Claire and then Mary and Percy join Byron (that is they take a house next door, and visit constantly). Here also joined by Byron’s doctor Polidori, the little group enjoys themselves with conversations and walks until the weather turns inclement. And so comes the famous time when each of them takes on the challenge of writing a horror tale—we see Polidori narrating his Vampyre, and then Mary being inspired to write Frankenstein—the task more or less taking possession of her. Each of the group’s complicated relationships and moralities are also explored. But then the story takes a rather odd turn, which made me stop and actually look up what was happening—instead of continuing as a biography, it moves into the world of fiction, and more specifically Mary Shelley’s The Last Man, the devastation caused by the plague and the depths to which people can fall even amidst such disaster, with the Shelleys and Byron taking on a central role among the last few survivors.

I really enjoyed the first volume of this series and thought it a very cute way to getting to know a little about Shelley’s life and work. This second volume opens the same way, and up until the time in Villa Diodati, where all of them composed or began to compose their horror stories remains on this track, and this part I enjoyed very much, as much as I did the first volume. In fact, the composition of Frankenstein, etc. was a part of this book that I was looking forward to very much and I was glad that the authors included it in detail, and went a little into the works, and also tried to imagine the kind of conversations the Shelleys, Byron, and Polidori might have had in their time there. But then the story’s turn towards the fictional gave it a very weird feel which while interesting in a way didn’t make any sense to me in this book, especially considering the way the two volumes proceeded from the start. If the authors had chosen to take a fictional path entirely or from the start combined fact and fiction, it might have still worked but when one is reading something biographical, even if done with humour as these books have been (the art work too is caricature-like, which was fun), one kind of expects it to continue that way, and it is a touch disappointing when it doesn’t. I enjoyed the first part of the book a lot, and while the second was done imaginatively, and was interesting, it just didn’t seem to ‘fit’. 3 stars for this one!

The book released on 17 April 2019 in English!

#39 Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
This review has a few spoilers for book 1, so read on only if you have read that already.

Thunderhead is of course Book 2 in the Arc of a Scythe series and picks up a little time after the events of Book 1. Citra is now Scythe Anasthasia quickly establishing her own manner of operation, strong on tradition and honour, and still working with Scythe Curie’s guidance. Rowan meanwhile has fallen off grid and established himself also as a Scythe but one who is bent on curing the ills that afflict the world of the scythes—ridding it of those who seem to find joy in gleaning, and those who operate arbitrarily rather than along the code that scythes must ideally adhere to. While initially, this seems to be going on as expected with Rowan only trying to stay out of the radar, things begin to take a more sinister turn when there is someone else putting scythes in danger besides Rowan, and this time they’re targeting the ‘good guys’, Anasthasia and Curie. Is this part of the impact of the differences brewing between the traditionalists and the new order scythes? The Thunderhead, the AI mechanism that runs this world (and ‘talks’ to us readers through this book), knows all but is powerless to intervene in the world of scythes. But is it really? Technically yes, but with its powers it manages to find a way to make a difference but will it be enough, and what will the outcome be? Rowan and Citra have important roles in this conflict, and so does one other that the Thunderhead has itself picked.

This was again a very enjoyable and exciting instalment in this series (I’m not sure if this is going to be just a trilogy or more). Book 1 of course had many changes in plot direction as it progressed, mostly because it was introducing us to the world, and setting the scene for what was to come. In comparison, this one follows in a sense a more linear path, but this is not to say that there are no twists or surprises. There were those aplenty, and they made the story all the more exciting. I liked the new character Greyson Tolliver who was introduced in the book and am excited to see where his adventures will lead him next—it seems as though his role so far was merely the tip of the iceberg as far as the overall story is concerned. I also enjoyed seeing how the Thunderhead managed to act while at the same time keeping itself within its bounds, breaking no rules and yet finding ways to intervene. Its thoughts that it communicates to us throughout the story were also very interesting reading, though there were moments when I wondered whether there was more to them (and its intentions) than I was seeing. Meanwhile, another thread in the plot involved Scythe Faraday, who is on a search for a place of legend, and in this journey takes on an assistant, Munira a librarian from the recreated Library of Alexandria. Their search and what they find is something we will see more of in the next book. Once again, a thrilling and interesting read from Shusterman. Four and a half stars. Looking forward to seeing what unfolds next!

Lady Clementina wrote: "#39 Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
This review has a few spoilers for book 1, so read on only if you have read that already.

Thunderhead is of course Book 2 in the Arc of a Scythe series and picks..."
I loved the first book and have the second one here, but I didn't manage to pick it up yet. But now I'm curious to see where the story is going, so maybe I'll put it up on the pile.

Natália wrote: "Lady Clementina wrote: "#39 Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
This review has a few spoilers for book 1, so read on only if you have read that already.

Thunderhead is of course Book 2 in the Arc of a..."

I didn't love it as much as the first but still a lot. Let's see what lies ahead.

As of now I'm three-quarters of the way through Truly Devious which is really gripping.