The King's Curse- Philippa Gregory

I would consider myself an advocate of Philippa Gregory's work, namely because I have read a vast majority of her books, however I didn't feel as thrilled as I have before reading this latest instalment in the cousins war series.

That is not to say this book is bad, on the contrary, this book is very good, however it is rather long. Descriptive sections are dragged out and due to the nature of the story the description is quiet repetitive. Although, as with all of Gregory's books her writing style is impeccable- she is a gifted storyteller and has a unique way of making a reader route for their favourite character till the very last second. She brings this historic era to life fantastically, better than most other writers who write about the tudor or York courts- the colours,food, music and culture jump off the page. I adore her writing but as I have said it can be a little repetitive.

The nature of this tail, concerning Margaret Pole the countess of Salisbury, lends to a gripping story, if however, played out over a great many years. The book is full of unrest and heartache that is addictive to read- Margaret's life was incredibly interesting and, personally, I rarely find her mentioned in great detail in other similar books which adds another depth of interest. In addition to Margaret there are a great number other characters who I love, her children in particular and of course Katherine (I always adore the character of Katherine no matter who writes her), and I love the development of Henry's character throughout the story- it is clear a lot of time was spent working on him and it really pays off, the contrast between Prince and King is wonderful.  

I'll be honest I found some sections a little boring, not really because of any fault of the author, more because I think I've reached the end (for a little while) of endlessly reading Gregory's work. However if you are a lover of Tudor/war of the roses history, as always, I can't recommend Gregory enough. This was another great addition to her long list of books but I couldn't honestly claim it out suppresses my favourites- just nestles in amongst the others.  

The Taxidermist's Daughter - Kate Mosse

I've said it before and I will say it again, I adore a mystery; and this one is a cracking one. The opening scene, set in a churchyard, is instantly gripping and really sets of the story from the outset. I must admit that this opening scene is a little confusing to begin with, however stick it out because all becomes clear in the end.

Throughout the book there are sections depicting sections from books about taxidermy which are really interesting unique sections to add and increase the level of errieness that surrounds the story, in addition to adding more detail to description included in the main body of the story. It is clear to see the amount of work that went into the research for this book and it really pays off; the characters are incredibly believable.

As I've said before the story is a little confusing but I feel this is understandable due to the nature of mystery stories, however many of the characters are are little similar and quickly dissappear. That being said I find the characters full of depth, in particular Connie, as well as being likeable. My only real issue with the characterisation is that of Joseph who seems to swiftly swap in personality, however again this is me being pernickety. I would have been interested to read more about certain back stories of some characters, for example Davey, but with so many characters it is impossible to explain everybody fully and I like the added questions this lends to the story; even after it has finished.

This book was good, not incredible,but worth a read if you're interested in crime and mystery. On,  interested is a little predictable, but the interesting setting of fish borne and the time it was set add more to a straight forward mystery story.There are a few little twists that are really great and elevate the book higher, however I would have liked to have seen a little more surprise and less coincidence. A few moments are a tad unrealistic and spoil an otherwise good read.

(No Subj

A Sudden Light - Garth Stein

As I have mentioned many a time on this blog I ADORE a mystery; I just can’t put them down! I have to say I was very surprised when this review request dropped into my inbox as Stein’s previous book ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ is one of my all-time favourite books and the description of this book was so far from ‘The Art of’. I couldn’t resist saying yes.

I was not left at all disappointed; in fact I was astounded at how well Steins style changes in this book compared to ‘The Art of’- equally good, but very different; a artful skill for a writer to achieve in itself. This is a scary book; genuinely I was very frightened when reading ‘A Sudden Light’- something that is so rare to find in a book and something that I love to discover.

The characters are fantastic- Grandpa Samuel is a particular favourite of mine, and his story line is brilliant. I loved the principal character Trevor; he was portrayed in a really realistic and genuine way- which is a theme that runs through the whole book. The characters actions and thoughts were all realistic and surprising; little twists and turns really added interesting depth to the story. In addition; the backstory and history, which is all intertwined brilliantly into the main story, is unique and totally engaging. Traditionally with stories like this (ones that are split into past and present) I tend to favour one side and find it a chore to read the other, however with ‘A Sudden Light’ I was very much interested in both sides. The history of this family, the Riddell family which the story is based around, is fascinating and its clear from the reading this book that Stein really did his research when it comes to the real life history of this area of the world- adding further to its realistic feel.

I love the ideas and themes portrayed in this book; ranging from the taboo to the thought provoking. So much is going on but it is all wound together beautifully. A small, but important, point is that of how the added ‘fear/scare’ elements heighten your imagination which helps to bring the story to life even more- you can hear the music; smell the trees- and it is balanced perfectly.

My only real criticism is that some elements of the story are left still, a little, unravelled at the end. I can get past this however as it allows you to work out your own answers; although that being said there are a couple of questions I still have swimming in my mind. I may have to read it again in the future to see if I can shed some light on them.

I have to admit this is a very adult book, not for kids or YA but I really enjoyed it. A mystery in the best sense, but with elements of the supernatural which added real character to the story, this is a lovely read. I got a real warm fuzzy feeling whilst reading it, possibly because it reminded me of what I used to love reading when I was a little younger and in love with the idea of period history, possibly because I remembered how much I love this authors writing.  

Note: This book was sent to me to review. This is no way alters or affects my opinion of the book and I only review books sent to me that I genuinely would have considered
purchasing for myself.

The Kingmaker's Daughter- Philippa Gregory

I have adored the work of Philippa Gregory for many years, in particular The Cousins' War series and the Tudor Court Novels. This book was by no means a disappointment at all, and as part of the Cousins' War series, lived up to expectations impeccably.

What I love about this series in particular, and Gregory's writing style in itself, is how she is able to mould the same characters and general story into so many different perspectives so brilliantly. Each time I pick up a different book, from the perspective of a different character, I am instantly drawn into their side of the story and how their part played out and was important to how these wars and rivalry shaped England in this period. I am a firm believer that most other writers that try to recreate this period of history as Gregory does would not achieve half as well written a series as this one. That being said, I am a little biased as I adore this period of history within its own right.

The Kingmaker's Daughter is not the best in the series, although that doesn't make it a bad book, and neither is it the worst. The story is captured and brought to life wonderfully; the shine and beauty of this time in England's history- from the royal court to the clothes and food- is so beautifully written that it literally jumps of the page and into your imagination. This is also true for the vast array of characters within the series, and in particular this book; each one (no matter how small a part) sparkles and captivates- I am certain this is due to the research undertaken by Gregory on the real life people that the characters are based on.

If you are a fan of historical fiction (or of the BBC 'White Queen' series based on this series of books) then this would be a definite read for you, although it would surprise me if you were a fan of historical fiction and not read any Phillipa Gregory. Although this is probably the least popular of the series, it is definitely worth the read, not only because it is brilliant as a stand alone book, but also because it completes the final puzzle piece of the series perfectly.

Still Alice- Lisa Genova

Many months ago our family's cousins from Canada came to the UK to visit; amongst a wide range of topics we discussed, I mentioned both my love of reading and Science- this fuelled the recommendation of this book. I would initially steer away from authors who write about Science subjects as I'm often left disappointed by a lack of depth however Lisa Genova happens to have a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard university; useful for someone who is writing a book about Alzheimers disease.

This book is full of detail and depth of knowledge, and is almost exactly what I look for in a science related novel; and this is purely down to the authors background and the background research she must have undertaken to write the book. The story follows the life of Alice, a university professor at Harvard university, a distinguished scientist and researcher as well as an outstanding teacher- however we follow her story as she is diagnosed with early on set alzheimers disease when she is just in her fifties. What I like about this book is it is incredibly realistic- the struggles Alice and her family face happen to hundreds if not thousands of people every day and the book highlights these issues perfectly.

For example, the author touches of genetic inheritance and genetic screening/testing and the impact this can have on children, grandchildren and future generations.I have a personal interest in genetic testing and found the authors interpretation and handling of the subject wonderful- full of insight and tactfully written but still maintaining the hardship of making, and living, with these decisions. In addition we have the real life impact on the husbands/wives or partners of people with alzheimers; completely without sugar coating or skimming around the surface. The reader sees an honest look at a sufferers life (and the lives of the family of the sufferer).

The style of writing for this book is somewhat clinical, well thought out and scientific- the perfect narrative voice for Alice; however the writing style does develop through the book as what is most important to Alice changes. The inner thoughts of Alice, particularly when the disease is really progressing into later stages, are beautiful and though provoking. For anyone, like me, who has had a friend or relative who has or is suffering with alzheimers this is a fresh, heartbreaking and interesting perspective of the disease.

My only criticism of the book is that I feel that this front cover would allow this book just to blend into the background of the other 'real life' novels that are swamping the shelves at the moment- which is a shame because this book is right ahead of the crowd. Without a doubt this is one of the best science based novels I have ever read and I have every intention of picking up more of Lisa Genova's books. Watch this space.

The Bone Clocks- David Mitchell

I will admit, rather shamefully, that this is the first David Mitchell novel that I have read and I’m thoroughly annoyed with myself that I’ve waited this long. I will hold my hands up and admit that I was drawn to this book due to the huge press/media campaign that Mitchells publishers/promoters threw at the world- it felt like I couldn’t turn a page in a newspaper without the advertisement glaring back or turn on the TV without an interview with him popping up; well let’s face it, they did their jobs. I bought it (in hardback none the less). 

Mitchell is a fantastic writer; a classic ‘unique’ author- full of long descriptive words and twisting detailed narrative. *Sigh* they don’t make ‘em like that anymore. That being said, you really need to concentrate whilst reading this book as it is very easy to get lost and this is definitely not a skim readable book- something I learnt the hard way. However, if you stay on your toes this is such a gripping read, and as I said before, the writing style is truly incredible.
 
My favourite thing about this book is the way the story is played out- it begins in 1985 and centres on the main character Holly Sykes, and although she is in every chapter/section of the book, the narrative voice is not always hers. We flick from person to person, glimpsing key characters from previous sections and meeting new ones. However, unlike many books of this style, the story is still concise and logical as Holly runs all the way through. I also love (and this is a slight spoiler) that Holly is the first and last narrative voice- this really rounds of the story. In addition; this book is FULL of beautiful quotes for example “Some magic is normality you’re not yet used to”- I think I like this quote so much is because, although it talks mainly of an event occurring in the story, it also hints at the future of Holly’s life and how she will adapt and change to accommodate new things.

As I said earlier, you need to keep your wits about you whilst reading this book and some of the concepts are really imaginative and require thinking about- this is a book for adults and a little beyond YA readers I fear (although that’s only because I think some sections may be a little boring for younger readers, by all means give it a go and prove me wrong). My only other real criticism is that I grew fond of, and developed an interest, in characters that were quickly taken away from me, due to the nature of the book. Although, I am convinced this was a literary technique used to emphasise the changing nature of life and how people come in and out of it: but I digress.

An excellent, excellent book and I would highly recommend- full of action and new interesting ideas and plots, a definite to read.

The Shock of The Fall - Nathan Filer

This is book is extermly unique; which I imagine is not something that others who have read this may think. If you have ever read 'A curious case of the dog in the nighttime' then you will find some parralels here, and if you enjoyed the Curious Case then this book is definatly a must read for you.

The reason I say it is unique is because you truly get a proper insight into what it feels like to suffer from a mental health condition. Not that you don't get that from Curious case, but this story leaves you bewildered, lost and confused- allowing the reader to truly appreciate how living with conditions such as the one that the main character suffers from, actually feels like. Due to the nature of the illness in Curious Case the story is much more straight forward than that in The Shock of The fall and offers an honestly different view of mental health illnesses.

The writing style of the author really lends itself to the storyline, and in places the narrative is truly wonderful and vivid. In addition to this the way this book is written and printed really breaks up the story so you don't have to fight to understand it as much as if it was written in a traditional straight forward manner. Obviously this style also lends itself perfectly to the narrative voice of the main character, Matt, but still evolves with Matt as he gets older, something most authors would have failed to adapt to.

Matt is a stunning character in himself- beautifully portrayed and you can't help but let your heart break for him. His journey is truly interesting and the detail of his personality is vital for the story. I also adored the characters of Matt's parents who take on a background evolution through the book that is also gripping to read and something I havn't really experienced on this scale to much in books before. Again the writing style lends itself to waves and waves of detail which, as I'm sure has become apparent if you keep up to date with this blog, is something I love in books.

I have no real complaints about The Shock of the Fall, a side from I imagine some readers may not enjoy the jumpimg about of the time frame, which I admit does take a little while to get used to, but is not something that really impares the reading of the book. This book is outstanding, a true gem and so worth the read- for all ages (however teenagers please keep in mind that this is not young adult).