Starting Over by Sue Moorcroft

I was sent this book to review by Choc Lit, along with a lovely bar of chocolate to nibble on whilst I read along.  My first taste of Choc Lit, and it was delightful!

** WHAT THE BACK OF THE BOOK SAYS **

New home, new friends, new love. Can starting over be that simple?

Tess Riddell reckons her beloved Freelander is more reliable than any man - especially her ex-fiancé, Olly Gray. She's moving on from her old life and into the perfect cottage in the country.

Miles Rattenbury's passions? Old cars and new women! Romance? He's into fun rather than commitment.

When Tess crashes the Freelander into his breakdown truck, they find that they're nearly neighbours yet worlds apart. Despite her overprotective parents and a suddenly attentive Olly, she discovers the joys of village life and even forms an unlikely friendship with Miles. Then, just as their relationship develops into something deeper, an old flame comes looking for him ... Is their love strong enough to overcome the past? Or will it take more than either of them is prepared to give?

** WHAT I THOUGHT **

Quite simply, this is chick-lit at its best!  It’s understandable how it has reached number 3 in The Small Publishers Top 20 Fiction List and why it is one of Choc Lit’s top 10 bestsellers. 

I’ve not read any of Sue Moorcroft’s books before, but I absolutely adore her style of writing.  I felt an instant warmth to the characters.  The way of village life was put across very well, and I found the book very visual; I actually think it would make a wonderful film!

When I first started reading the book, it struck me that it was going to one of those predictable storylines.  After all, it begins with Tess accidentally driving her car into the back of Ratty's breakdown truck.  After an initial thorny meeting, it is clear that these two strong characters are going to end up together at some point.  Yes, it is relatively predictable: they have their ups and downs, but there are a couple of twists along the way which aren’t at all forced to keep your interest. The book is paced exceptionally well, and most importantly the ending is one that is satisfying so that you can close the book with a smile on your face (and not one of those, “but what actually happened!?!?” moments that leave me extremely frustrated!).  In fact, I smiled a lot throughout the book - mostly brought about by Ratty!! Who wouldn't want a man like him in your life to chase you across fields, and pull you into a strong embrace!  Choc Lit's slogan of "Where heroes are like chocolate - irresistible" certainly works exceptionally well for this book!

This isn't just a love story, there are heart-warming moments centered around village life, friendship and family life (Angel's children, in particular the way Jenna calls Tess 'Teth' and Toby calls Ratty 'Watty' melted my heart every time!).  It also explores the parent-adult child relationship extremely well, and is something I think most of us can relate to.


I see from Sue’s blog that she is about one-third of the way through the first draft of her latest book, Dream a Little Dream.  This is also set in Middledip (the village that ‘Starting Over’ and ‘All That Mullarkey’ are set in).  I look forward to the release of this book, and in the meantime will get my hands on a copy of All That Mullarky.  You can keep up to date with Sue at her blog here and Choc Lit here.

Pearl by Deidre Purcell

WHAT IT IS ABOUT:

In 1920s’ rural Ireland, Pearl Somers lives happily with her parents, her sisters Opal and Ruby, and her little brother Willie, in the gate lodge of Kilnashone Castle, where her father is chauffeur to Lord and Lady Areton. But one dreadful night, a series of dramatic events unfold and the lives of all – elite and ordinary – are changed forever. Over 40 years later, Pearl has become a successful writer. Yet there is one story she has never told, until her young cousin Catherine confesses a secret of her own that opens a door to Pearl’s past – one she thought had been firmly sealed forever. When Catherine discovers Pearl’s story of heartbreak and yearning, she determines to do her best to reconcile past and present. But is it too late for Pearl to find her own happy ending?

WHAT I THOUGHT:

This is another author that I had never encountered before.  The cover is elegantly beautiful and fits with the book perfectly.  The book is set in Ireland, and having Irish roots myself, this alone is enough to get me hooked! There is even a mention of my grandparents’ home harbour-town, Courtown in County Wexford!

I must admit it took me a few chapters to get into, but I think that is because the previous couple of books I’d read had been aimed at younger readers.  Once I’d adjusted, I really enjoyed the book.  It’s tragic, yet enchanting.  A totally different kind of love story; not clichéd or predictable but unique and beautiful.

Purcell finds inspiration from her own family history in the making of this novel: her grandparents lived in the gate lodge of Durrow Castle where her grandfather was a chauffeur for the Flower family who, like Pearl’s own father, ended up leaving Ireland to work for the family when they returned to England.  Also like Pearl and Opal, Purcell’s mother and aunt came to Dublin as young girls to work in a café.  I felt this connection in the authenticity of the book and I think it really helps bring the book to life.

This unique storyline is told from alternating points of view of three women within the family (two sisters, and a younger cousin from a different generation) and from alternating points in time (children, young women, and older women).  Purcell’s writing style is fluent, and it works perfectly to bring the story together and to life.  Gems of information are released at just the right time to keep you reading on.  I have to say, my least favourite chapters were those told by Opal as I found her particularly difficult to engage with.  However, her chapters are the fewest in number, and do work to bring the novel together.

This isn’t just an ordinary chick-lit novel, but an enchanting love story from a wonderful Irish author!

The most beautiful illustration that you will never forget your first love…..!

Pictures of Lily by Paige Toon

** WHAT IT’S ABOUT? **

'Will you marry me?'

I think of you, then. I think of you every day. But usually in the quietest part of the morning, or the darkest part of the night. Not when my boyfriend of two years has just proposed. I look up at Richard with his hopeful eyes.

'Lily?' he prompts.

It's been ten years, but it feels like only yesterday that you left. How can I say yes to Richard with all my heart when most of it has always belonged to you? I take a deep breath and will myself to speak...

Ten years ago when Lily was just sixteen, she fell in love with someone she really shouldn't have fallen in love with. Now, living in Sydney and engaged to another man, she can't forget the one that got away. Then her past comes back to haunt her, and she has to make a decision that will break her heart - and the heart of at least one of the men who love her. 

** WHAT I THOUGHT **

I have just finished this book and I am sat here with tears streaming down my face! I am a HUGE die-hard romantic and so this was the perfect book for me!

I’ve previously read Paige Toon’s ‘Chasing Daisy’ and so had high expectations for this book.  Having read the back of the book, I was already hooked – the combination of that with Paige Toon’s name to it was all I needed to know to know this was going to a brilliant chick lit book that would keep me page turning for hours. Did it disappoint? The answer is a resounding NO!

The first 12 chapters are set 10 years ago when Lily first moves to Australia at the age of fifteen.  Ever since a small child my favourite animal has been the Koala (and in fact my first ever stuffed animal was a Koala who still sits on my bed today!), and so I adored the first part of the book just for the heart-warming descriptions Lily gives of the Koalas and Kangaroos.  These early years also deal with Lily learning to drive (something we can all relate to) and Paige captures perfectly the typical first crush.  For me the line “I know I’ll relive this moment over and over again” is one that rings true from my own life.

As I read the book I could literally feel her heartbreak – I think that partly comes from being such a sucker for romance but also from the way it is written; every detail is perfect.  All in all, these beginning chapters totally and utterly capture falling in love and heartbreak.

The remaining chapters of the book are based on her life 10 years on.  Her heart has not forgotten her first love, and this is affecting her new life as she has never been able to give herself fully to anything else again.  The part of the book where she is thinking about life without her boyfriend are extremely well written.  From personal experience, Paige perfectly captures the pain that you feel about losing someone you love but just don’t love with all your heart.  Yes, the book is predictable but this doesn’t take anything away from it and I constantly had to refrain myself from checking the last page as I was afraid there would be a twist resulting in an ending different from the one I wanted.

If you’re a helpless romantic, this book is perfect.  It kept my heart racing as I lived Lily’s life with her!

Theodore Boone by John Grisham

The back of the book says:

“In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he's only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he's one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk - and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than he expected. Because he knows so much - maybe too much - he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won't stop until justice is served.”

When choosing this book, the synopsis of this book intrigued me.  I’m a law student, and although I haven’t read any of John Grisham’s other novels, I certainly recognised the name and thought this would be a good choice!  However, I’m sorry to say, this was another disappointing read for me! Initially I didn’t realise that the book was aimed at younger readers, however the large writing and the plot itself very much gives this away.  That in itself wasn’t a problem; I quite like easy-to-read books but for me, it wasn’t gripping and it didn’t keep me turning the pages as I’d imagined it would.

It is a very accessible read, and I got through it in just a few hours, however to me it felt like half a book.  There is no cliff-hanger ending implying that there will be a sequel to follow up the story, yet so much is left unanswered (and not in a “leave it to the readers imagination” kind of way).  For example, throughout the book, which focuses on a murder trial, there is reference to a man called Omar Chepee.  This man works for the defendant (accused of murder) and gives menacing looks, follows people etc. and therefore you are constantly waiting for him to do something, yet the book ends and there is absolutely no mention of him.  I must admit, I usually hate it when books (and especially films) leave a lot of the ending to the readers imagination yet this was even worse as it just didn’t seem to come to a natural conclusion. 

If you take the book for what it is (i.e. teen fiction), then it is an OK read and I didn’t hate it but, as an adult reader, I found the whole plot line disappointing.  The Sunday Express had this to say about the book: ‘For any young readers tired of wizards, vampires and Greek gods, there’s now a new kid on the young fiction block, and this one really does have serious powers: Theodore Boone, half-boy, half-lawyer... fans will be pleased to know there will be more of Theo’s adventures to come.’  Unfortunately, I have to whole-heartedly disagree; this book is absolutely no match for the likes of Harry Potter or Twilight!  It’s a shame really as John Grisham has the reputation of Number One International Bestseller and actually the plot has a lot of potential which just isn’t realised. 

Having said that, I haven’t actually read any John Grisham books before, and as a law student, I will be picking up one of his adult books in the near future to see if they fare any better.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

** No Spoiler Included **

It is likely that most people now know what this book is about, due to the film released in 2008.  Even if you haven’t seen the film, you’re likely to have come across the trailers.  Initially, they wanted you to start reading the book without knowing the subject matter (the original synopsis of John Boyne’s book was:

"The story of "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some clues about the book on the cover, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about. If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence. We hope you never have to cross such a fence.") 

However, this has now been taken away due to the prevalence of the film.  Therefore, the newest edition of the book features a slightly more detailed synopsis.  However, I am not going to go into detail about the plot of this book.

John Boyne is an Irish author, and although this is his fifth novel, it is his first book written for children.  My initial reaction to this was that given the subject matter, I didn’t think it was particularly appropriate for children.  However, given that the back of the original book states “this isn’t a book for nine-year olds”, I take some comfort from it being written for slightly older children.  Indeed, when I think back to my school days, we were taught about the Holocaust from a relatively young age in secondary school.  John Boyne himself addresses this concern by saying that ‘I do feel that young readers can approach serious subjects like this if the stories are told in the right way and I tried to tell it in the right way’ .  I do agree with this, the story is told from Bruno’s point of view, who at nine years old, is relatively naïve and innocent.  Therefore, although the story is tragic, it is not told in a particularly graphic way that would scar you for life.

It is certainly accessible to younger readers, but because the story is told by a child who doesn’t understand the full extent (if at all) of what is happening around him, I think a prior knowledge of the Holocaust would be needed to really appreciate this book.  Therefore, I’m not entirely convinced that the premise of this book being for younger readers isn’t flawed.  For example, Bruno mistakes Auschwitz for “Out-With” and refers to Hitler as “The Fury”, instead of the Führer.  None of these mistakes are explicitly corrected in the book, and the reader is presumed to be able to work it out themselves.

The book is 216 pages long, and printed in large text.  For me, it was easily readable in one sitting.  It certainly is young-person-friendly.  The narrative is certainly in keeping with being written from a nine year olds perspective, but at points I did find it slightly forced.  In particular, the repetition; I understand this is meant to add to the believability of the story being told by a chid but for me it felt a bit like the author had sat down and thought “now, how do I think like a nine year old”.  I wanted it to flow a little more.

I haven’t seen the film, but did see the trailers which certainly made me realise the film (and book) would be a heart-breaking story.  However, I am disappointed to say that the book didn’t quite live up to expectations for me.  Perhaps because I expected to be a bit more in depth and harrowing, and actually in comparison to these expectations, the book was quite light reading until the last few pages.  (Saying that, I am certainly not making light of the subject).  In my opinion, nothing much really happens throughout the majority of the story (although it wasn’t boring), until the last two chapters – which delivers a pretty strongly impacting twist which did make me gasp! 

However, the book isn’t realistic.  It is totally unfeasible that the son of the Commandant at Auschwitz, having lived at Auschwitz for a year, would never have heard the word Jew.  Bruno doesn’t grasp what is happening in the concentration camp at all, despite his bedroom window overlooking the camp.  Certainly, in reality, a boy of his age growing up in Germany in 1943 would know something about these things; he would certainly be taught to worship Hitler and to have strong negative feelings about Jews.

It certainly isn’t realistic, it has some quite major flaws and it isn’t historically accurate, and therefore if this sort of thing offends you then it’s probably best you give it a miss.  But if you can take it for what it is (and you've avoided the spoilers), it is worth a read if you have a spare couple of hours (even if for those last two chapters alone).  I presume the film is set heavily on the book, and so if you’ve seen the film, I imagine the book doesn’t really add anything!!

A fabulous second novel by Rosamund Lupton!

I managed to get through 2010 missing Rosamund Lupton’s highly acclaimed debut novel ‘Sister’.  However, when Postie bought me her second novel ‘Afterwards’, courtesy of Best Magazine to review (I signed up to Best Book Club through their facebook page), I took to Google to learn more about her.  I soon discovered how successful her first novel had been, selling nearly 200,000 copies in just ten weeks and spending 14 weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list. Impressed, I settled down on the sun lounger in my back garden to see what all the fuss was about....!

Having not read ‘Sister’, I can only imagine how the success of this second novel will compare. However, I have to say it is a fantastic read! It is an absolutey fantastic page-turner; it only took a few lines for me to be totally engrossed.  Rosamund Lupton draws you in very quickly, and I felt an instant connection with the characters. 

I found this book to be an absolutely incredible portrayal of the lengths family will go to for one another; and communicated from a very interesting and different perspective – It is told by the mother of the family from the point of view of an out of body experience whilst her physical body is in the hospital in a coma.  An extremely moving story, but with enough twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. 

If you’ve read and liked ‘If I stay’ by Gayle Forman (reviewed below), you’ll absolutely love this!  I will absolutely be investing in a copy of ‘Sister’ and will definitely be keeping my eye out for Rosamund Lupton's future works!

** Rosamund's second novel, Afterwards, is published on June 9th 2011 **

New Reading Challenge!

In addition to my 2011 Reading challenge....I am signing up to Book Chick City's Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge 2011 to read at least 12 mystery and suspense novels!!

I have a few already waiting on my bookshelf to be read....so even though it's already June, I think I should be able to get through 12 by 31st December!

I'll keep you updated....!





  

The Villa Girls

I was sent "The Villa Girls by Nicky Pellegrino" by Waterstones to review (Available here: The Villa Girls at Waterstones)

The chapters in this book alternate between “Rosie” (A recently orphaned girl who is understandably a bit lost in the world) and “The Olive Estate” (where we meet Enzo and his traditional Italian family).  I found this a little frustrating at first, as although it allows the author to build the story of both characters gradually, I often found myself having to switch my attention from one character to another just as I’d begun to really get into reading about one of their lives.  However, after a while, it begins to flow better and it does keep the pages turning. By half way through the book, I quite enjoyed the switching and as the two characters lives collide, it brings a deeper insight to each person's views.

At the end of each of Rosie’s chapters, there is a short addition from Addolorata’s (a friend of Rosie) perspective (either in the form of a journal entry or ‘what she said’) – I liked this, and thought it added something different.

Italy features heavily in both Rosie and Enzo’s chapters.  Firstly the Olive Estate is in Southern Italy and secondly, Addolorata  is part of an Italian family who run an Italian restaurant in London.  As Rosie and Addolorata’s friendship grows, Rosie soon becomes part of Addolorata's family and it is heart-warming to read. The book explores both Italian family life and the vibrant flavours of Italian food extremely well.

The book is a good illustration that so many of us have the lives we actually lead and those we dream of leading.  It’s based heavily around family, friendship and real life, and this overpowers the romance element.  As expected, it is a fairly predictable story, so don’t expect twists and turns throughout that will keep you guessing.  The book has a fairly leisurely pace, although some parts of the story are dealt with in just a few pages which at times seems a little strange.  However, if you like leisurely reads, you’ll get along with this book just fine.  Ideal for light reading whilst on holiday! 

Love Reading? You'll love www.lovereading.co.uk

I recently won a £50 voucher from Lovereading’s Facebook page of which they have a couple depending on what type of books you are into:

• Literary/Contemporary 
• Crime/Thriller
• Romantic Fiction
• Biography/Autobiography
• Relationship Tales

This £50 book voucher was to be used on their website: http://www.lovereading.co.uk/. It took me several weeks to browse through their website, which I highly recommend – there is a fabulous mix of authors and categories to chose from. 

Finally I chose a lovely set of 9 books:

So if you love books, I highly recommend a visit to Lovereading's website!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I have been meaning to read this series for years, and have a number of friends who keep recommending it and constantly reminding me! I suffered several unsuccessful trips to my local library; apparently being an International Bestseller means the book is always out of stock with a number of reservations in line waiting to read it.  However, as you will see in my next blog, I was lucky enough to win a £50 book voucher which I used to purchase a number of books including The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

So what did I think.....? In my opinion, it is an exceptionally well written crime novel.   You would never know it was originally written in Swedish and is in fact extremely well -constructed. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows three central characters who ultimately all come together in an attempt to solve a family secret which has remained just that for a number of decades.  The head of the Vanger Corporation is tormented by the disappearance of a young family member decades earlier, and is convinced that a member of his family murdered her.  A recently disgraced journalist and an anti-social investigator are subsequently hired to unravel the yarns of mystery that exist and arrive at a very surprising outcome.

The prologue was enough for me to be drawn in, and intrigued as to what could possibly have happened to this young girl.  I wouldn’t say the novel is particularly fast-paced but slowly builds the complex story, including the extended family history, and then picks up pace about half way through. It is gripping enough to keep you turning pages.  The main characters are very easy to warm to and the plot is interesting and not too predictable.  Within each chapter, Larsson jumps around quite a lot between characters but actually it is generally very easy to follow.

I found it extremely interesting to discover the background to the author, who witnessed a gang rape of a young girl when he was 15, and how this impacted on his career.  His books focus both on a central character called Lisbeth (also the name of the rape victim) and a theme of sexual violence against women.  The novel is particularly graphic in places, but I think it is a sign of how well-written it is, that these parts of the book work and it all blends together very well.  Other themes running throughout the book are journalism, the lack of morality in the corporate world, and Swedish society. 

It is a shame that Larsson is no longer with us and a outstanding crime-writing career was cut short, as his works would surely have developed into even more exceptional novels.  This trilogy will definitely go down in history.