The Sisters Brothers: Psychotic Cowboy Assassins....good stuff

I picked this up in the rather half assed attempt to get myself stuck into this year's Man Booker shortlist...I say half assed as this was the only one I read, yes, I am a slacker (this is no big secret).  But this said, this is the first year I have found something on the shortlist I felt that I could just read and enjoy, so by recommendation of my then manager I picked it up and didn't put it down.  The Sisters Brothers is such an unusual submission for such a prestigious prize yet such a delicious one, I am of the opinion you can't go too far wrong with a bit of cowboy action and well done to the judges for picking such an curve ball title to feature on the shortlist.



We are brilliantly drawn into the world of our rather criminal narrator, a Mr. Eli Sister, a chap with some very unusual views of the world and with an unsavoury profession.  Eli and his brother Charlie are contract killers for a gentleman referred to as the Commodore and this is but a small slice of their story as they are sent to murder a man named Hermann Kermit Warm.  If I am honest, that is all you really need to know, this is the sort of novel that is a pleasure to read in it's cool, rather strange style.

Eli is a brilliant narrator who fools us at every turn, I am still not entirely sure as to whether he is a likable character or not, still brilliant nonetheless.  We begin with him painting a vicious, and violent image in his brother and we are fooled into thinking Eli is the calm one and Charlie is the rash, gun happy killer.  This is the case for the most part so long as Eli does not lose his temper and then we see him for the notorious killer he is known to be in this dark, lawless world.  Eli's thoughts often turn to his actions and his disappointment in himself, he wants for far more than the life he leads and desperately tries to fall in love at every turn, although I am quite certain that he is not entirely sure what love is and is just enchanted by the thought of having someone to love.  These two brothers are a pair of complete psychos by definition, but in very different ways.  I think it says it all when Eli realises that in order to be free he must still kill, he cannot leave the business without first committing an act of murder by his own intentions.  It raises the question as to whether he can actually ever be free.

Lets not forget that this is a black comedy, and it it funny throughout in spite of the cutting scenes of violence that litter this masterpiece's pages.  I was particularly taken with the very sad story of Tub, Eli's long suffering horse that in all honestly is rather useless.  This poor horse is not treated kindly at the start by Eli, however Eli begins to feel for the steed and tries to turn his behaviour to that of a kinder hand.  Tub gets punched in the face by a bear, has his eye torn out and suffers a long and agonising death, how he survived right up until almost the very end of the novel I have no idea, but he is one of the very few real *victims* of the tale, the poor fella.

As can be imagined we are faced with gold, violence, greed and suffering in this tale of the Wild West, and there are some Indians tossed in for good measure.  A great read if you are looking for something a little different, it will surprise you!!  I couldn't help but think of the Coen Brother's remake of True Grit, this book certainly shares the dark humour of the film, the level of violence isn't all that different either....bloody good stuff.

The 13th Horseman: Yup...the 13th

With my head firmly rooted back into kid's books I decided to start reading proofs like they were going out of fashion, I just love quick reads!  "The 13th Horseman" by Barry Hutchison is rushing to the shops in March 2012 and looks set to be a firm recommend for anyone who loves Terry Pratchett or Jonathan Stroud.  Why I chose to read this...no idea, but it does have a rather shiny pony on the front cover with a very large chap sat on the back wielding a pointy sword, it also has a child sat on it's back that looks close to soiling himself, this might have been the selling point for me...but who knows.

We are dropped into the world of the vastly misunderstood Drake, a teenager that stumbles upon a shed in his back garden with some rather peculiar occupants.  Those occupants inform him that he is to be a Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the most important one to boot, Death himself.  Obviously this comes as rather a shock to Drake and the visage of the other three horseman is rather off putting, War with his large stature and abundance of scars, Pestilence with his terrible skin conditions and last but certainly not least Famine, a very, very large fellow that will eat just about anything he can lay his chubby hands on.  A wonderfully funny tale of adventure ensues as Drake tries his hardest to not be Death, then he decides he should perhaps perform the role after all...shame he can't whistle for his horse (Drake is rather terrible at whistling).

I adored this, it was laugh out loud funny (and I don't say that lightly).  Each character had their own quirk that made them entertaining and the narrative runs at such a pace you might even have trouble keeping up with it!  By far the best bit is when Famine is used much like the pebble from the David and Goliath myth, as he is catapulted high into the air to smack a gigantic world destroying robot in the forehead...genius.  There is a large number of incidents that will make you giggle alongside the Famine chucking incident, such as the shed that wont leave Drake alone, Pestilence's constant scratching, and Famine's lack of horse...he trundles along on a very slow mobility scooter!  This is a work of creative madness and a rather fine one at that, perfectly marketed at a teen audience but never violent or graphic enough so that a younger person with a suitable reading age couldn't pick it up.

There is not really any new ground covered here, but it is a satisfying read that will please just about anyone that loves a rather funny fantasy.  This is your almost typical end of the world narrative as of course the hero saves the day (if you would call Death a hero, but each to their own), the quirk definitely lies in the Horsemen themselves, they are rather unforgettable characters.

Oh..and the cover is just brilliant, a good one for a face out on my shelves at work!

The Apothecary's Daughter: Watch out for Fleas!

I am rather Happy to admit I don't often plunge into a bodice ripping historical romance, however I read this as a favour for one of our lovely sales reps that quite often pops in and I loved every second of it.  Best guilty pleasure I have read in quite some time.  Don't be alarmed, there was really very little bodice ripping, well, there was a few instances of it. 

Bett's takes us into a London long ago, riddled with the bubonic plague.  Susannah is aiding her father in an Apothecary shop which is frequented by consumers looking for various treatments and salves, but particularly hunting for concoctions to ward off the Black Death.  Her life is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a rather unpleasant woman whose gold digging habits have led her into the arms of Susannah's widowed father.  As the apothecary shop is invaded by Susannah's vile stepmother and her equally vile children, she realises that her life has to change and fast, there is just no room for her anymore in what was one a comfortable home.  Susannah faces the fear of marriage, and it is here that her story really begins to flourish. 

Set against the grimy and depressing background of London during the worst of the plague this novel's story is just fabulous.  You travel along with Susannah as times go from bad to worse for her, what with her having to face her fear of childbirth, deal with a dead husband that leaves her penniless, she also gets very mixed up over a blooming romance with her husband's cousin.  There is far more than that to her tale and I just have no idea how Bett's managed to fit all of this in.  The writing flows beautifully and you are never lacking for a cliffhanger or a big revelation. 

The inevitability of death from the plague is rather predictable and it does at one point become a case of 'who will die next' but I loved the predictability of this and was rather pleased with myself whenever I guessed correctly a particular plot twist or plague death.  It is actually the novel's predictability that made it fun, where in other novels this would be a dull mechanic in this novel it adds to the fast pace and enjoyability.

I found the description of Susannah following the dead cart to the plague pits, from start to finish, to be very harrowing.  Bett's has a real knack for atmosphere and impact, it conjured up images that I wont soon banish from my thoughts.

All in all, a good read and one I would imagine fans of Phillipa Gregory would devour.  Do not fret, it has a very satisfying ending that I am sure everyone would agree is perfectly fitting for a character that has had everything possible thrown at them throughout the course of the narrative. 

That is my guilty pleasure reading done for a while, no more chick lit for me for a good few months.  Don't think I could cope with an overload, it is quite likely I might end up feeling the need to visit a hair salon or get my nails done....brrrrrrrr.

Ruby Redfort: A Rather Super Code Breaker

I was rather overjoyed when a fluorescent green proof was plopped in my lap at work, a small white fly staring at me from an otherwise blank cover.  Lauren Child, of Charlie and Lola fame, has jumped into the world of 9 -12 Fiction with a bang...no wait...an EXPLOSION.  This book was great fun, after reading a few rather wordy, and lets face it...very thoughtful books, this novel was like a breath of fresh air, something light and fluffy with just the right amount of silliness.  The book itself is due out on the 29th of Sept 2011 so is something to look forward to if you are a fan of the author or have a little one that is just the right age for this kind of thing...I will say it was a rather girly book, but some lads might like it.

Where to begin?  Ruby Redfort is a rather bored kid, her super rich parents are obsessing over a new exhibition in the local museum and the house help is arguing over silly things.  Ruby, you see, is rather intelligent, she writes down everything that she observes and is obsessed with breaking codes and puzzles with her close friend Clancy.  This all changes with the arrival of the suspicious new 'butler' who is about to introduce Ruby to a world of spies and code breakers in order to solve a mystery and hopefully prevent a massive theft in Ruby's home town.  All Ruby needs to do is to solve a puzzle, and hopefully not get killed in the process.

A really charming read, light, funny and engaging.  Ruby has a habit of breaking her own rules (yes, she lives by a set of rules that she has written out) and it is this that helps us to remember she is just a kid and she is rather prone to getting carried away with her ideas.  She also seems to have a bit of a habit of picking things up and not putting them back, I rather thought of her as a cheeky little clepto in some places, and this made me giggle all the more.  She does try to put these spy gadgets back but this results in her stealing yet more of these priceless items.

I particularly liked the host of characters in the book and the way Child always has some sort of banter between them.  Every exchange is witty and even the super villains are funny in their own way (also of course rather stupid in some instances).

All in all, very, very cute and I would recommend it to anyone that wants a super light and silly read.  It is predictable of course, but in a fun way, it is Child's writing more than the story that had me hooked.  It looks long, but you will whip though it in no time, that is the glory of large font!

Big 'Ol Box of Proofs

What better than a box filled with kid's books, with earplugs, a cereal bar and a teabag to welcome me to the running of the Children's Department at work.  Perfect timing from Mr. Postie and the lovely girls at Harpercollins Children's Department.  I practically squeaked in public when I started rifling through the box that appeared on the main till this morning.  There is a very strong possibility the next few reviews will all be short Children's Book reviews, as I am anxious to get stuck into the pile of books staring at me from my desk...I could swear they are smiling.

My exciting box of books, staring at me.

I started my career as a Children's Bookseller so I am rather pleased to be back in the section , even on what I can only assume is a temporary basis.  It feels like home and the books are all so shiny.  Three years away from the department and I AM BACK BABY.  So many kid's books so little time.

I should share what was in the box of joy.  Harper have sent out their favourites from their Spring line up, and they will make for some fabulous winter reads, all snuggled up with my cup of tea, my cereal bar and...erm..the earplugs (I live in the countryside, noise is somewhat of a rare occurrence here).  The only thing the box was missing was a blanket, thankfully I have plenty of blankets to cosy up under with a book, namely Mr. Blanket (a blanket with a face, hence the requirement for a name, he is of course a dragon).  Anyway, I digress, pictured below is the contents of the box that will make up some of my cosy winter reads (when I should be out running but it's too cold).

Yummy books...yum.

As it is rather late I apologise for the rather shoddy photos, I was just excited and wanted to do a blog ramble.  The bottom one, which is called "Stormswept" is the one I am most excited about, I LOVED her previous novels set in Ingo (a world of merpeople) and really want to get stuck into a new set of characters in the same setting.

ANYWAY...sleep zzzzzzzz

PS. I forgot to mention the lovely bookmarks that were also in the box, one for each book, each with a handwritten review from a member of Harper's marketing team, very cute touch...I loved it.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The Help: Best Book I have Read All Year!!!

I don't ever mention it lightly when I say a book is fantastic...I happen to read an awful lot of trash just because I enjoy reading in general.  "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is an absolutely gorgeous novel that everyone should at least try to read.  I picked it up on a whim from a charity shop, I had been told it was good, but I honestly didn't expect such an original, heartwarming yet important piece of fiction.  I decided to move it to the top my reading pile due to the imminent film release, and am so glad I did.

The novel is told through the eyes of three very different, very distinctive voices.  We open with Aibileen, a maid that works for Mrs Leefolt, a woman with a sad back story and a warm heart.  We also meet the seemingly audacious Minny, a sass mouthed maid in need of new employment and Miss Skeeter, a white lady who strives to discover why her beloved maid has vanished from her life.  As the story progresses a dangerous yet warm friendship develops between these three women that shapes and distorts the world around them.  The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960's, a time of radical change and a very dangerous place to live in if you were black.  It is rather difficult to explain the narrative without giving too much away, however, one of the main pivots of the story rests in the determination of one Miss Hilly (a white, rich, housewife and busybody) to create separate outside toilets for the black help in order to prevent cross contamination.  This triggers a silent outrage in Aibileen and allows Miss Skeeter to learn a lot about Jackson, a town plagued with racial discrimination.  Miss Skeeter decides she wants to write a book....a collection of life stories told by the Help, not the white women who employ them and of course, nothing is ever that easy, what maid in their right mind would want to speak with a white lady on a mission in such dangerous times?

In her own admittance Stockett has bent the facts in places to fit into her story, so don't expect the real world references to tie up perfectly, but that really is not an issue here.  This reads like reality, and it is that which makes this novel so endearing, shocking and completely addictive.  Compared to and said to be a contemporary competitor to "To Kill a Mockingbird" it is so easy to see why.  Miss Hilly becomes the embodiment of an opinion, and by the end of the novel even her popularity doesn't hide her for the monster she really is, Stockett hammers this home further as a sore appears at the side of Miss Hilly's mouth...the ugliness within finally makes it's way to the surface.  On the flip side of this, the plain and sweet Miss Skeeter sheds her stereotypical clothes and her frizzy mousy hair to become a confident and beautiful woman, a revelation of her true nature of course. 

By far my favourite character was Minny, a loud, cheeky and bold black maid.  Her story is fantastic and her friendship with Aibileen is timeless.  Both turn to each other in times of great need and violence in their community, the world around them is terrifying yet they find solace in each others company.  But what is so amazing about this multifaceted character is her weaknesses, that she manages to hide so well.  It is fantastic to see Minny overcome her fears and her beliefs as the narrative develops and I guarantee you will fall in love with her too.

A very daring book for a debut, I will be interested to see how well the film relates to the novel.  Check out the trailer above (after all it was the watching of this trailer that made me want to read this amazing book). 

I did try to read "Skippy Dies" by Paul Murray after I finished this novel, and failed miserably.  Expect a kid's book review next as I am devouring a reading copy of "Ruby Redfort", the soon to be released new novel by Lauren Child (of Charlie and Lola fame).

Ducklings in Cornwall

I was rather disappointed to have missed out on a plethora of photo opportunities of small armies of mallard ducklings along the canal...only for the lack of camera present, sometimes I do dawdle without the huge thing and it was always then that the babies were out in full force...and in that sort of situation a phone camera is just rubbish.  I was overjoyed when I spotted some late broods in Tavistock on the River Tavy during my visit to Cornwall last week, I actually had the big digital camera with me so I started to take pics like they were going out of fashion, here are some of them...all of the pics are cropped to take out the background noise.

There are many, many more and I could upload all day...but most normal people would get rather tired of looking at baby ducks.  Thank goodness for the good weather so the sun could light up their feathers so much.

The Tiny Wife: Andrew Kaufman's New Fable

A big thank you to Harpercollins for sending through a reading copy of this one, I devoured All My Friends are Superheroes and loved it, so I squeaked with joy when I saw that proofs were doing the rounds for Kaufman's new novel The Tiny Wife. 

This was a delight to read, a lovely novella about a thief that holds up a bank.  This wonderfully elaborate thief, with his distinctive purple hat takes from each person, not their money, but that which they attach the most sentimental value to upon their person.  An old key, a cheap watch, photographs and so on.  If that wasn't peculiar enough, things, weird things, start to happen to the victims of this confusing crime.  One lady's lion tattoo roars to life and starts to chase her wherever she goes, another woman turns to candy, and our narrator's wife, Stacey, begins to shrink.  Each victim's story is a fable in itself, not all of which have a happy ending.

This a book that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and is quite beautiful, creative and endearing.  It is most definitely about the things we value most, even our fears, and facing up to those things.  It is because of this that this book would make the perfect gift to a close friend, or someone that could do with a smile.  It is short and sweet and only really took about an hour to read in it's entirety, if it had been any longer I really don't think it would have had such an impact.  Kaufman is the master of the touching, soulful short novel.  I think the only aspect of the novel that would put people off is it's gentle weirdness, I would say to put your judgements aside until you have read it, you will likely be surprised.

A big thumbs up from me, as you can probably tell.  This one is due out on the 1st of September, so I would imagine it will be in a lot of people's Christmas stockings.  All I want to know is, when will we be seeing an omnibus of Kaufman's novellas?  I want one now!

Babies on the Canal

As the last post was, well, rather dark and, er, savage, I thought I would share a few pics of babies on the canal just because I love baby birds and they are cute as hell!

One male mallard trying ever so hard to look all grown up...not quite there yet though, still looking a wee bit patchy.

Coot babies are rather, erm, fuzzy, the parents change their countenance so much with their little ones.  Coots are usually the bullies of the canal, but as you can see they are very gentle and cute when it comes to their chicks.

Another coot chick, his white tummy is starting to come in and he is starting to lose the weird fluffy hairdo that makes him look rather hobo like.

Big moorhen and little moorhen, very, very cute.  They soon ran like the clappers back to the water when someone came rushing through on a bike though.  Photo opportunities, annihilated.

Whenever I am feeling stressed, or wired, or just had a bit of a crappy day at work I take a stomp down the canal and either feed the ducks or just walk and observe, it is the most relaxing thing in the world and it is just so quiet.  Who needs therapy when you have ducks!

Therese Raquin: Deliciously Dark Intents

Beware, I have a great many spoilers in this blog, don't read past the first paragraph if you still want to be surprised by the novel!

Wow, this was a surprisingly savage novel that swept me away into world of family secrets and zero morality.  Berated by critics with comments such as "Therese Raquin is the study of too exceptional a case; the drama of modern life is more adaptable than this, less enveloped in horror and madness" and having been referred to as "putrid literature" in its day, this was not a popular novel.  Emile Zola's aim in this novel was to bring out the beast in his characters, not to create something that would appear realistic and certainly not something to appease his critics.  This is evident as with each chapter we see some sort of personal development in one his main protagonists, and these developments spiral out of control as the novel develops and that is why this is a novel I loved, it has a no holds barred feel to it that renders it almost timeless.

Zola drops us right into France during the 19th century to tell his tale of the Raquins, Mme Raquin with her sickly child Camille and her adopted niece Therese.  Both children grow up knowing they will marry and this becomes routine as both just go along with their mothers wishes, no complaints, it just seems to be a natural progression.  The change is brought to play when the pallid Camille cajoles his mother into moving from the countryside back to the city so he can follow his ambition to work, not so much to be a success, he just seems to want to be another cog in the wheel in whichever career makes itself available to him.  Mme Raquin reopens a haberdashery in a quiet, dark street, this doubles up as the living accommodation for the family.  Therese at this point still feels tepid, she is a quiet and uninterested soul that has no wants or needs, no passion, no nothing, she is flotsam and jetsam to Camille and Mme Raquin.  Her character shifts when Camille brings a work colleague home to one of the family's traditional Thursday night dominoes sessions and Therese awakens to this new man's presence.  Laurent and Therese begin a passionate, ferocious affair, one of pure pleasure.  It is this affair that drives them to commit the most terrible of crimes in order to make the way clear for themselves.  As a result of this they become haunted, broken creatures and the madness begins!

The reason this novel works so well is that none of Zola's characters are 'good' people, all of them behave in such a way that their only interest is in their own happiness and they mould those around them to serve this end.  Mme Raquin marries her offspring to have a family to provide for her, Camille forces his mother to the city so he can follow his own path, Therese and Laurent murder Camille to secure their own future and even the regulars at the domino game try to orchestrate the marriage of Laurent and Therese so that their domino night can continue without the disruption of a mourning widow.  It is only towards the end of the novel that you begin to feel remorse for Mme Raquin, as she realises the terrible truth of the relationship between Laurent and Therese but is powerless to do anything about it in her paralytic state, her rage is very satisfying and you want so badly for her to break out of her paralysis and murder the broken couple.  All of the characters are just vile, but it works, and this is why it works.

My favourite bit of the novel, and don't judge me, is when Laurent and Therese are finally married.  They enter their marital room and the horror of this novel is finally realised in all it's glory.  The two newly weds are haunted by the image of the drowned Camille, they see his face and feel his presence in whatever they try to do.  They feel his damp, sickly body between them at night and Laurent subconsciously paints the drowned man's face into all of his work.  Their guilt tears them apart and drives them into a world of vice and deception, it is just brilliant.  I was only somewhat distressed when Laurent, paranoid that the cat knows something, breaks the back of the family cat and leaves him to die slowly, wailing as he crawls across the roof.  I like animals, and that was a particularly brutal, harrowing scene.

With all that said, this novel gets under your skin, it exposes the animal side of people without the morality we expect from society.  It is this dark and relentless approach that makes this book so incredibly delicious, akin to eating a thoroughly calorific chocolate fudge cake with lashings of sauce and loving every second of it guilt free!

The Island of Dr. Moreau - A Cautionary Tale?

I enjoyed this novel tremendously, being a huge fan of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this struck a tone with me as it feels almost like it has echoes of Shelley's masterpiece in the telling.  It certainly follows the Prometheus concept as we are faced by the crazed Dr. Moreau who is destroyed by his own hand.

Our narrating protagonist Edward Prendick is cast adrift when the boat he is upon sinks in the middle of the ocean.  After losing his lifeboat companions to the ravenous sea he is rescued by a motley crew and nursed back to life.  This is ultimately where Prendick's surreal narrative really starts to begin.  He is taken and left on an island ruled by the 'mad' scientist Dr. Moreau whose interest lies in the creation of beasts via vivisection, and these beasts populate the island under the vicious and watchful eye of Moreau.

This is ultimately a novel of horror, and the chase scenes are truly terrifying as Prendick is pursued by one of Moreau's beasts on more than more occasion.  Beautiful, chillng atmospheric writing, and the madness of Moreau's "House of Pain" is dizzying.  Prendick is constantly haunted by the wails and screams of a puma, another of Moreau's unfortunate subjects.  The images conjured up by this poor suffering animal's screaming are just harrowing, and it stays with you long after reading.

Moreau's ultimate goal is scientific advancement, to create animals that resemble humans in both posture and intelligence and he is convinced he is close.  It is this blind ambition that drives the man's madness and strikes fear into the hearts of his many creations.  Moreau's monsters form a community on his island, one where they try to adhere to the "law" as stipulated by Moreau himself, all of which tries to keep them from returning to their animal nature.  Yet they do feel cast aside, you never feel as though Moreau takes responsibility for these experiments and it is this that leads to the spiraling events that in turn become the violent crescendo of this novel.

You can't help but draw parallels between Moreau and modern day genetic experimentation, and view this narrative as a cautionary tale, this cannot end well!

"Each of these creatures, despite its human form, its rag of clothing, and the rough humanity of its bodily form, had woven into it, into its movements, into the expression of its countenance, into its whole presence, some now irresistible suggestion of a hog, a swinish taint, the unmistakable mark of the beast."

Wells' does use this novel to express his views on society, science and to a point explore biblical themes as well but I don't want to go into to much depth over these ideas, there are plenty of places online where you can explore these topical themes in a great deal of detail.

All in all a bloody brilliant read, it has made me want to go and pick up more of Wells' novels.  His writing has a timeless feeling to it and by no means feels dated which is what makes this a classic that anyone could pick up and enjoy. Oh, and it's a short novel, so a super fast read.

Pop to http://www.gradesaver.com/the-island-of-dr-moreau/study-guide/major-themes/ if you want more insight into the themes covered by this masterpiece.

Ta ta for now!

My First Ever Blog Post: Hurrah!

I can't say how much I love books and...well...the lovely wildlife that I can see and hear from the windows of my peaceful flat.  I am starting up this blog to share, mostly, my love of reading with other addicts and of course to share some of my doorstop wildlife rambling.  Working in a local bookshop gives me access to a plethora of great reading copies and recommendations from people that pop in, so I plan to share as much as I can (be it good or bad) on these books.  I am reading the fabulous "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by H. G. Wells at present and will fill you in on what I think in a later post...as it stands, so far so good!
 Oh and one more thing, I must warn you, I am a snap happy amateur photographer...so beware....I will be sharing some of my haphazard pics of some of the wildlife that causes ruckus on the otherwise peaceful canal outside.

And here is one duck to get the ball rolling, she was very vocal but managed to sit still whilst I took far too many vanity shots of her sunning herself on the side of the canal.  Oh the life!