Review: Delete This At Your Peril

Delete this at your Peril, the Bob Servant emails - Neil Forsyth
Paperback: £ 6.99
Publisher: Birlinn

This was my very well received work Secret Santa present! JR who had me knows my love of books very well. He also knows that I get sent a fantastic selection of emails asking me to help transfer funds from dead people's bank accounts, Russian girls thanking me for fictional door opening and job opportunities to earn £ 50000000 in 10 mins on the loo! Got to love a widely available work email address.

This book is a collection of 'Bob Servant's' dazziling email conversations with scam emailers. It is truely hysterical. My one question is, IS BOB REAL?????? Is he just a figmant of Neil Forsyth's highly intelligent brain?? Whatever the answer, cracking book!

It's very funny, witty, intelligent and a laugh a minute. I'm half thinking that I'd like to reply to such crazy emails myself now!

As there are no 'characters' and plot persay, I don't know how what else to say I'm afraid!

Brilliant read!

Hope you all had a good Christmas!!!
Happy Reading!

Book Geek
:-)

 

Review: Two Caravans

Two Caravans - Marina Lewycka
Paperback: £ 7.99
Publisher: Penguin

I was looking in the Oxfam bookshop for something to read and I saw this. I'd heard that Lewycka's first book 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian' was brilliant so I thought I'd give this one a shot.

The jumping around from character to character and voice to voice may take some getting used to but it's worth it. The book is written in 1st person, 3rd person, as letters and in 1st dog! I found that I really enjoyed the jumping between characters and voices. It was really interesting to see different events through different eyes and to see how different people felt about different situations and even each other.

Yes, the book centers on a sort of 'love story' between Andriy and Irina but it isn't vomit inducing. They are from different Ukraine's and their differences make their relationship enjoyable and entertaining.

There are some dark bits in this book and it is pretty rude in places so it's not one for kids or youngsters! However, there are some laugh out loud funny moments.

There are some GREAT moments:
The belief that the Milk Tray man is an English legend.
Phrases such as 'asshat' and 'Devil's asswipe'.
The image of a man who has it all as a man with 'mobilfon'.
Emanuel's obsession with 'canal knowledge'.
And the classification of people with 'good culture'.

The one bit I felt disappointed by was the disappearance of three characters when they moved back to their homeland. The sentimental part of me would have loved to have seen where their lives and futures went.

Basically, give this one a read, it's surprisingly good!

Happy Reading!

Book Geek
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Time Traveler's Wife Versus Her Fearful Symmetry

Good day!

I'm doing another versus and I hope you don't mind!

Here are the two fighters:

                     VERSUS                  

The Time Traveler's Wife 

Paperback: £ 7.99

Publisher: Vintage

I don't really go for books that are some what romantic, I'm a bit of cynic when it comes to most things. I know this book isn't categorised as a 'Romance' but there is a strong element of lurrrrrve. From start to finish I enjoyed it and fell in love with it (as well as Henry). 

The novel came recommended by my Mum and I was a bit skeptical to begin with. However, I picked it up, read it and couldn't put it down, I didn't want it to end! I passed it round all my friends and when I went on a holiday to Greece with my Uni friends after we graduated I think 4 out of the 6 read it that week. Even one of my friend's who has NO imagination read it and absolutely loved it. At the moment it's in the boot of my car as it has only just been returned to me by yet another person. It has old receipts, ticket stubs etc etc in it that people have used as book marks so not only is it a well loved book but it's providing a timeline to my friend's lives....it's pretty funny. If you haven't read it, read it now and I mean now.

p.s. make sure you have tissues handy.

Her Fearful Symmetry

Paperback: £ 7.99

Publisher: Vintage

Sorry Ms N, sorry for what I'm about to say.....

I can't help but think that this book was only so popular upon it's release because of the above. I can't help but think that Ms N was cashing in on her reputation when she wrote this one. It is an easy read and it does have a story that makes you feel like you want to know what happens next. However, it doesn't have the depth and emotion of Traveler's Wife. Also, I found it really really far fetched compared to Time Traveler's Wife (yes I know that the above isn't exactly very 'realistic' but this one just went too far for me).

The book is worth a read if you want something for a holiday say. But, don't expect anything as good as Time Traveler's Wife, especially the ending. It does leave many questions but none poignant enough to make this a book that could sit on the same lofty pedestal as Time Traveler's.

Happy Reading!

Book Geek
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Better Book Titles

Hey there one and all

There is a blog that I love completely and it always makes me giggle! That website is www.betterbooktitles.com

This is what the blog is all about: This blog is for people who do not have thousands of hours to read book reviews or blurbs or first sentences. I will cut through all the cryptic crap, and give you the meat of the story in one condensed image. Now you can read the greatest literary works of all time in mere seconds!


It is brilliant so I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you, hope you guys don't mind!

          

A Clock Work Orange            Anna Karenina                           Atonement

The Great Gatsby

          

The Night Before Christmas                               On Dreams 

         Sherlock Holmes

The Reader

War and Peace

I hope you like the above and do make sure that you check out the blog in all its glory, it's updated every weekday: www.betterbooktitles.com

Happy Reading

Book Geek

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My bookshelf

Hello book lovers!

The wonderful people over at Big Green Bookshop (http://www.biggreenbookshop.com/ find them on Twitter: @BigGreenBooks) posted a 'My bookshelf' blog entry which you can find here! This inspired the trending twitter topic of #mybookshelf and has inspired me to do my very own blog post.

This is the shelf:
















The shelf is located in my bedroom and contains an eclectic variety of books. Some are from my childhood and are therefore sentimental, some are there because they don't have another shelf where they'll fit (by topic or actual size) and one is there because I have to remember to return it to the owner.

Anyway, here are the details (from left to right then top to bottom for the ones underneath):

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Paperback: £9.99
Publisher: Penguin Classics
I was lent this book by my boyfriend. He raved about it for months and months! He read it on holiday with his Mum and step Dad who were reading 'something by Sebastian Faulks' and The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, the latter reading the Call Girl. As he kept on professing its wonder and genius, I agreed to give it a go. I read a lot so I get through a lot of books, this one took me MONTHS!! It was the bane of my life, like an albatross around my neck! Yes, the story is pretty good but only when Dumas actually gets round to it. I know it's a great work of literature and I'm very sorry to say it but it drove me mad and I never want to read it, let alone look at it, ever again. Slow moving, terribly irritating and not one to recommend to others unless you want a slap in the face with a wet fish!


The Story of Miss Moppet - Beatrix Potter
Hardback: £5.99
Publisher: Warne
This is one of the sentimental books. My God Mother used to read Beatrix Potter stories to me when I was a little tiny whipper snapper. She bought me this book because she had a tabby cat I used to adore. Beatrix Potter stories are a big part of my childhood and I'll always love them.

The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle - Beatrix Potter
Hardback: £5.99
Publisher: Warne
This is, as I'm sure you've guessed, another book with a sentimental attachments. Mrs TW is my absolute favourite, always has been and always will be. I particularly loved Lucie as I always thought I was her and on a Beatrix Potter themed primary school summer parade float I was actually lucky enough to be her! Mrs TW was also the first Beatrix Potter figurine my God Mother bought me...I have lots now!

The Complete Short Fiction - Oscar Wilde
Paperback: £6.99
Publisher: Penguin Classics
I'd only ever read Dorian Gray until I bought this and to be honest, I only bought this book for a showy offy pretentious reason! I had an audition for a choral scholarship at Lincoln College Oxford at the tender age of 17 and I was told that I may have a small preliminary interview after the audition. As I was looking to study english, I knew they'd ask me what I was reading and thought this book would be impressive! I didn't get the academic place but I was offered the choral scholarship!

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Paperback: £18.99
Publisher: Penguin
I think this is the book of most importance in my life! I've not read all the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I've thoroughly loved the ones that I have. This book is so important to me because it belonged to my Grandfather. My Grandfather died when I was 3 months old so I never really properly met him. My Mum tells me that when she was little my grandfather used to come home from work with a bar of chocolate sit down and read a story from the Sherlock Holmes book. The best bit about the book is that it has chocolaty thumb and finger prints throughout that are my grandfathers! I will never ever get rid of this book and will cherish it forever.

The Oxford Book of Satirical Verse - Various and chosen by Geoffrey Grigson
Paperback: £ n/a as appears to be no longer in print
Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks
I saw this book in a second hand bookshop more years ago than I care to remember. I dip in and out of it every now and again and I enjoy a lot of the poems in it. It's something that you will either love or hate, a bit like Marmite!

Tales of South Wales - Various and compiled by Ken Radford
Hardback: £ n/a as appears to be out of print
Publisher: Skilton & Shaw
This originally lived on my parents book shelf. When I was in year 9 of secondary school we had to choose a Welsh folk tale and write a poem based on it. I can't remember which one I chose, I think it was about some kind of robber or bandit, I really couldn't say. That is the only one I've read from the book, maybe I should read some more.....

Chillers for Christmas - Richard Dalby
Hardback: £ n/a as also appears to be out of print
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
This was given to my as a Christmas present by my Aunt and Uncle when I was in my early teens. They gave it to me because I read so much then and I still do, obviously. I remember reading one of these stories, no idea what it was about and I've never read any since. To be honest I don't think I'll ever read any of them ever again so maybe it's one for the charity shop.

A Child's Christmas in Wales - Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
Paperback: £5.99
Publisher: Orion Childrens
I have always loved Dylan Thomas, since I was little. A Child's Christmas in Wales was one of the first Thomas creations I was introduced to. My Mum took me to see a stage version of it at the Grand Theatre  one Christmas and it was great. Humour, sentiment, familiarity, well everything! My Mum then bought me this book. I read it pretty much every Christmas!

The Dr. Seuss collection that I apparently own
Paperback: £4.99 each 
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
I own 'The Cat in the Hat Comes Back', 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', 'There's a Wocket in my Pocket', 'I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today and Other Stories' and 'Green Eggs and Ham'. I have put these all in one lump because it would be slightly tedious going through them all individually, just to say, I have all of them and have had them since my childhood because they are great kids books and still to this very day make me giggle! I don't know where my copy of 'The Cat in the Hat' has gone though!

New Big Sister - Debi Gliori
Paperback: £ varies. Can be bound on request
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
My Mum gave me this book as her way of announcing that she was pregnant with my little brother. I was 6.5 years old and I'd wanted a little brother or sister so I was over the actual moon when my Mum presented me with the book and told me that I, was in fact going to be a big sister! I say was, I still am and always will be!

The Lighthouse Keeper's Cat + The Lighthouse Keeper's Catastrophe - Ronda and David Armitage
Paperback: £ 5.99 each
Publisher: Scholastic
Being completely frank, I have no idea why I have these books still or what they are even about. I know they are from my childhood but that's it. They were in a pile of my old books that my Mum was looking to part with and I just couldn't let them go for some reason.

The Christmas Book - Dick Bruna
Hardback: £7.99
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd
I love Christmas, always have and always will! This has been in my possession since I was a tiny little person, before my memory even began. The illustrations are completely gorgeous and cute and simple. I take it off the shelf and flick through it every Christmas. I don't do it through the rest of the year, obviously, as it's not Christmas then and you won't get the same shivery and excited feelings!


The Jolly Pocket Postman + The Jolly Postman and Other People's Letters - Janet + Allan Ahlberg
Hardback: Other letters £12.99, Pocket no longer in print
Publisher: Puffin
Another set of books that hold a special place in my heart. I used to love opening them and taking out the letters and reading them and having them read to me in different voices for each character. Defo another set I'll NEVER part with.

Mrs Smith's Crocodile - Linda Dearsley + Frank Rodgers
Paperback: No longer in print
Publisher: Macdonald Children's Books
I'm so sorry to say that I can't really comment on this book. I can't remember what it is even about. I'm sorry :-(

A Porcupine Named Fluffy - Helen Lester
Paperback: Out of print
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
This is such a sweet story and the illustrations are beautiful and so cute. This is another book I've had since I can remember and I'm sure you are spotting a theme with this shelf. This is a picture book with very little text so it is indeed one for the very young. It is so adorable!

Guards! Guards! and The Last Hero: Both discworld graphic novels by Terry Pratchett
Paperback: Both no longer in print
Publisher: Gollancz
These aren't next to each other on the shelf but it is easier to attack their entry in one go. I love Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. I have a hugely vivid imagination so his books let my brain run wild. I have read loads of them but sadly not all. I acquired these in various 2nd hand book fairs. They didn't live up to my expectations as, sadly, they kind of ruined the images of the characters and scenery I had in my head. However, the illustrations etc are wonderful none the less.

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
Hardcover: no longer in print
Publisher: Frederick Warne Publishers Ltd
Another beautiful childhood book. Bought for me by my godmother after she started me off with the earlier two. I adore Potter's stories, the illustrations and the beauty in her writing. I will no doubt end up sharing these lovely tales with my own kids (if I ever have some....early days yet).

Fantastic Stories - Terry Jones, illustrated by Michael Foreman
Hardcover: No longer in print
Publisher: Pavilion Books
I will admit it now, I was given this book when I was a lot older than suitable. This is because I love Monty Python, I love them as individuals, as a collective, well as everything. These stories are brilliant and the illustrations are great. I went through a phase of trying to copy them in my middish teens...yes I am a loser.

Tales from the Mabinogion - Trad.
Paperback: £ 9.95
Publisher: Gollancz
I'm Welsh, so, I don't think the inclusion of this book on my shelf needs ANY justification or more description. So there :-p

Here Come the Babies - Catherine + Laurence Anholt
Paperback: £ 5.99
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.
Another gift when my Mum was expecting my little bro. He's 6.5 years younger than me so I was able to play an active role in his up bringing. I remember every second from the day he was born until, well, I spoke to him on the phone on Saturday afternoon!

Cats Among the Toys - Lesley Anne Ivory 
Hardcover: No longer in print
Publisher: Collins
Another beautifully illustrated book. This was done by the author themselves. It was also another book related to my God mother who had a gorgeous little tabby cat called 'tabby'. I loved to read and look at this book and I now have a tabby cat of my own so I may have t take it off the shelf to read to him!

Geiriadur Lliwgar: Welsh Children's Picture Dictionary - Heather Amery + R. Boore
Hardcover: No longer in print
Publisher: Gwasg y Dref Wen
This is not only great for kids but also for Welsh learners of a certain/any age. It's a funny little book. The part I still enjoy is finding the duck on each double page spread, I do however know where he is on each and every one now.....

Aesop's Funky Fables
Hardcover: No longer in print
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Ltd.
My Mum bought me this when I was in the last year of Primary school. I think she wanted me to read them to 'learn' moral things. I did read it and still have it because it is pleasing to the eye! With some of my 'morals' maybe I should give them another read!

The Walker Book of Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young - Various
Hardcover: No longer in print
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.
Not as street as it sounds. Another book that I used to read and enjoy with my God Mother (she was also my nanny by the way). We used to sit down on the big chair in my parents living room after school and read together until my mum and dad came home from work.

Well, that's the shelf! Hope you enjoyed
If you want to do your own remember you can publicise it on Twitter with #myshelf

Happy Reading!

Book Geek
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Stephen Versus Edna

Hey one and all

I'm sure you are all aware of Mr Stephen Fry, however, it may be news to you that there is one very special lady in his life, Mrs Edna Constance Bathsheba Fry.

Stephen Fry is the world renowned actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, author, poet, film director, tweeter,etc, etc, etc! I'm sure you all know him, love him or hate him. He's written some fantastic fiction including 'The Liar', 'Making History' and 'The Stars' Tennis Balls.' I have read four of his fiction books so was very excited to hear about the release of 'The Fry Chronicles' an autobiography and continuation from his autobiographical book 'Moab is my Washpot'. Sadly, it wasn't quite what I expected...

Mrs Stephen Fry is an author, mother, blogger and tweeter as well as a chef extraordinaire. She is the author of 'Mrs Fry's Diary', a narration of her life with Mr Fry and their numerous children. She is now in the process of writing 'How to Have an Almost Perfect Marriage' which is going to be a how to guide on courtship from the hunt to the union and beyond. I'm thoroughly looking forward to its release!

I read both of the above this year and I had high expectations! But alas, one let me down....here is a brief look at them both.

Mrs Fry's Diary - Mrs Stephen Fry
Paperback: £7.99
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

From the second I opened this book until the second I closed it, I enjoyed every word! I couldn't put it down! Mrs Fry is a blast. Her recipes are mind boggling! You get a view of the life you never thought Mr Fry led. He is always so debonair, sophisticated and charming...in public anyway. If you want a rollicking good read and a bit of an eye opener then buy this book.....NOW!!!


The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry
Paperback: £8.99
Publisher: Penguin

Oh Mr Fry, Mr Fry, Mr Fry, Mr Fry! I had such high hopes for this book and I was so excited to commence reading it. Yet, I'm afraid I felt most let down by it! Until Fry left University I found it to be nothing but self indulgent name dropping. I'm very sorry to have to say that, you have no idea how sorry! After he departed Uni it did change somewhat and I started to enjoy it more, but it was still tainted by that first section. I do hope he decides to write another part and I will of course read it, after all, Mr Fry I am one of your biggest fans and think Edna is a very lucky lady!

Happy Reading

Book Geek

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Under the Dome: My opening sequence

Hello readers!!!

I mentioned in my post 'My top 10 books of 2011' that I'd written an opening sequence for Under the Dome if it was ever turned in to a TV series (or film). So, I've fished it out and here it is in all it's minor glory!

It appears to be very poorly written, I apologise for that! But, enjoy none the less!

Book Geek
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You would be looking through the eyes of the farmer who is listening to his Ipod. You'd see arms driving the tractor, the field up ahead and all you would hear is the music from his ipod...some kind of cheesey girly country music.

All you continue to hear throughout the following (until I indicate) is the ipod music (no bangs, crashes, screams or arguing would be heard).

You'd see a plane and bits of bodies falling down from the sky. Then move to a chopped in half wood chuck, front half still running around.
Then, as if you are sitting in the back seat you will see the couple arguing with each other then suddenly crash in to nothing.
Then see the car with the old ladies crash in to nothing, but from the outside this time.

Then we are back as the tractor driver when all of a sudden you crash in to nothing, ear phones fly out, music stops and we cut straight away to a screaming woman who has had her hand chopped off by nothing.

Then the screen would pan up to blue sky and it says 'under the dome'.

Review: The Sentry

The Sentry - Robert Crais
Paperback: £6.99
Publisher: Orion

I'd consider this book as a high action crime novel!

Could it be classed as post Katrina literature or am I reading too much in to it there?

This is part of a series of books. I haven't read any of the other Pike and Cole books but I didn't feel like I've missed out on background history that would have made the book more enjoyable. The only bit I have questions about is the significance of Pike's tattoos. I would like to know what they mean and where they came from. 

The book is driven by the situation Wilson Smith and Dru Rayne are in. Hollywood gangs are heavily involved and I found this very interesting as gangs/mafia organisations intrigue me. The parts of the novel discussing the set up of the gangs etc. were particularly absorbing. I enjoyed the character of Azzara as he wasn't what I would have expected from a gang leader in some respects. Could he be a more accurate representation of gang big wigs in the modern age? 

The psychopath character of Daniel is everything you would expect from some one who is unhinged enough to be an assassin for hire who enjoys a spot of torture. The chapters written in his first person are disjointed and made me feel slightly mental. The style of writing in these sections reminded me of Catch 22.

Cole and Pike's relationship is incredibly strong and this is evident throughout. I thought I would loose out on understanding their closeness as I haven't read any of the other books involving them but this wasn't the case. I do feel however, that their relationship is a little bit off balance and one of them cares more for the other. What do you think?

There are some twists and turns throughout the novel that I didn't find at all obvious. This partly could have been because I wasn't expecting them/didn't know there were any. I'd be interested to find out if anyone saw them coming. 

There are a few particularly gory scenes so this is not a book for the faint hearted. However, there is a small amount of romance so if you enjoy the soppy stuff this should make up for the gore!

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's a light and easy read that does keep you turning the pages. I would possibly be interested in reading some of the earlier novels, but only to find out about Pike's tattoos, yes I do find them that intriguing.

Happy Reading!

Book Geek

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My top 10 books of 2011

Hello book geeks

Here are my top 10 books of 2011 (in no particular order).

Under the Dome - Stephen King
Paperback: £7.99 
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
In the office I am a known reader. I read ALL the time. A work friend of mine had just come back from holiday and said she'd read Under the Dome in a matter of days, despite how absolutely massive it is! She told me the basic premise of the book and I thought it sounded good and would be worth a read. I borrowed it and couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the entire thing up until the end. I have to admit that the ending was a slight let down seeing how good the rest was. I loved it so much (and I'm that much of a book geek), I actually wrote what I thought would be a good intro if it was ever adapted in to a TV show. It is now apparently being adapted and Spielburg is involved! I would recommend it thoroughly but don't worry about the end, it really doesn't spoil the rest of it.

The Afterparty - Leo Benedictus
Paperback: £12.99
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
I won this book in a Twitter competition, it was an early release preview copy. I wasn't 100% sure what to expect, and I did judge it by its cover and thought 'this is going to be a bit of a trash read'. It is written in a style that took some getting used to but once you've read the first few parts you get used to it and it is really intriguing. I wasn't sure throughout the whole thing if it was based on a real story or not and there is still a niggling doubt about one bit in particular (I won't be specific as it'll ruin the whole thing). It is now out in paperback and the names and tweets of/from people who read preview copies are apparently printed in the back.

Minority Report - Philip K. Dick
Paperback: £6.79
Publisher: Gollancz - an imprint of Orion Publishing
Last Christmas (I gave you my heart...sorry, couldn't resist), my Mum gave me a set of books entitled 'Read a Good Film'. It's basically a collection of books that have been turned in to films since, well, cinema was founded. I didn't know Minority Report was a short story until I started reading the book it was in and discovered it was a collection. There are nine stories in the book in total, of which I think Minority Report is the weakest. That could be the case because I knew the ideas behind it already. However, I enjoyed the others thoroughly. They all seem to be set in the same time/world/universe yet they are all very different. It is rather Sci-fi, so if you don't like that type of thing, it's one to avoid.

The Hypnotist - Lars Kepler
Paperback: £7.99
Publisher: Blue Door
This is another book that I got in advance from a Twitter competition. The title and the cover don't quite suit the book in my opinion and again totally mislead me. I'm sorry once again but I do take note of covers before I read books. 'Lars Kepler' is a husband and wife writing team, I wasn't aware of this until after I'd read the book. The pair obviously have a similar writing style, or one writes and one is the ideas person, I can't say, but I didn't notice any wavering moments in style or tone. It is a psychological thriller as well as being a sort of crime novel. It's right up my Mum's street, but she didn't enjoy it to the full as the advance copy was an uncorrected bound proof and the typos etc annoyed her. They don't really get to me as I'm a magazine editor and see such things ALLLLL the time.

The Passage - Justin Cronin
Paperback: £7.99
Publisher: Orion
I'd seen a lot of promotion for this book in posters on the tube, on websites, in magazines and on social media sites. I was lead to believe it was a 'vampire novel' but it wasn't quite that! I was on a train to London for a conference and finished off 'Double Indemnity' as the train was delayed due to a fatality. I attended the conference and had a few hours to kill before I met my boyfriend for dinner WITHOUT A BOOK to keep me company. I went to Foyles and ended up buying The Passage. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was brilliant! I loved it and recommend it so highly to a friend of mine that she bought it straight away on her Amazon app. I'm thrilled that it is not a stand alone novel and cannot wait for the next one to be out in the summer of 2012.

The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlam
Paperback: £7.99
Publisher: Gollancz - an imprint of Orion Publishing
Another book from the 'Read a Good Film' collection. Don't go in to this expecting it to be identical to the films. All the films did was take Bourne's name and the amnesia as a basis. The book is phenomenal. I've never really been a fan of high action/spy novels but this one was brilliant. It is written in a far superior way than other spy/action novels I have read in the past. I did fall in love with Bourne but I also fell in love with Marie a bit too. If you love the films, you'll LOVE the book!

The Believers - Zoe Heller
Paperback: £8.99
Publisher: Penguin
I enjoy Heller's writing and how she can absorb the reader so completely in such a short pagination. This book could be classified as post 9/11 literature as ground zero and the events of that day are discussed on a number of occasions, however, I wouldn't like to put it in that genre as it would be a guess. The characters are absorbing, the plot line is heart wrenching and it is a great read. It was the type of engaging read I'd expect from the author of Notes on a Scandal.

In-Flight Entertainment - Helen Simpson
Paperback: £7.99
Publisher: Vintage
I'm sorry to tell you that this was another freebie I won on Twitter. I'd just finished reading Minority Report and was in the frame of mind to read  a few more short stories (I've never really got down with short stories before but this year I've discovered what a joy they are). The stories comment on life, normal life, apart from one which is set in the future. There are 15 stories in this VERY short book, so they are indeed SHORT stories. However, they are thoroughly enjoyable. The stories look at the mundane, the everyday, the normal trials and tribulations of life and therefore feel familiar yet, the way Simpson writes sheds a new light and perspective on things. The beauty and simplicity of everyday life is highlighted in this delightful collection.

Shaman's Crossing - Robin Hobb
Paperback: £8.99
Publisher: Harper Voyager
I have loved Robin Hobb since she was recommended to my by a friend at the tender age of 16 and I read the Farseer Trilogy. As with most of her books that are the first in a trilogy, it was heavy on the detail and scene setting passages. But, it is, as usual written as elegantly as her books always are. The characters are constructed in such a way that you will find one to relate to instantly, you'll find one to hate, you'll find one to love and you'll find one to admire. It is a good old fashioned fantasy novel that will be read quickly but loved.

The Grifters - Jim Thompson
Paperback: £6.19
Publisher: Gollancz - an imprint of Orion Publishing
This is yet another book from the 'Read a Good Film' collection. As I'm sure you can see, this set has gone down a storm! The book is short and sweet and is indeed very much of its time (1963). You follow the life of con artists, minor/petty criminals and their personal lives over a short period. You meet mothers, girlfriends and learn a few tricks of the con artist trade that you'd love to try out if you had the balls to do so! I passed it around to  few people who also thoroughly enjoyed it. A short, quick little read that will keep you entertained!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
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Welcome

Hello one and all

Welcome to my blog.
I'm going to talk about BOOKS, books and more books!
I spend a lot of my time reading and I will read anything and everything.
Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

Happy Reading!

Book Geek
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