Mailbox Monday 31/10/11

October’s Mailbox Monday is kindly hosted by Savvy Verse and Wit – do drop by for some great deliveries!

Another Monday, more work, another dollar…I have been quite well behaved when it comes to buying books of late, so here is my haul over the last month:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – kind thanks to Bloomsbury for this one. I plan to start it late this week!

The Evelyn Waugh Popular Penguins haul – Brideshead Revisited, Scoop and Vile Bodies based on how much I enjoyed A Handful of Dust (review this week).

…and some work related books, old edition but $4! (Excuse the lighting on this one).

I have a lot of lovely parcels that I hope will arrive soon. How was your Mailbox Monday?

Mr Rosenblum’s List by Natasha Solomons

A quick rundown… Mr Rosenblum is a refugee from Germany. He tries desperately to fit in to his new setting as a proper Englishman. This, of course, means building a golf course.

Strengths: The character of Mr Rosenblum and his wife, Sadie, who deal with problems in completely different ways.

Weaknesses: Excessive description and a lot of golf making this quite boring.

Why I read it: Hype plus a Borders sale.

Pages: 320

Published: 2010

Publisher: Sceptre

Setting: England

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

If you liked this (or want to try something better in the same vein), try: They’re A Weird Mob by John O’Grady

I had heard so much about this book – all of it good. So when the opportunity came to purchase this at the Borders closing sale, I grabbed it. One thing all those other reviews didn’t tell me though – there is a significant proportion of this book about golf. I’m telling you now so you don’t make the same mistake I did (albeit at 50% off). This is not mentioned anywhere on the blurb on the back of the book!

You might have guessed I don’t care for golf.

Which is a pity as Jack Rosenblum, recent immigrant to England, has decided that golf is one of the true pleasures of the quintessential Englishman along with a number of other items that a ‘true’ English man does – from type of car (Jaguar, Top Gear fans start crying now) to breakfast spread (marmalade). Jack’s determination to fit into his new country is at first charming, then slightly boring. Jack’s mind then turns to the building of the best golf course in Britain and this is where I got a bit distracted and so did the plot. We have meticulous planning of the golf course, the disdain and then gradual acceptance of the villagers, a mysterious tale of a pig, some tragic moments and then happiness. This book could have been really sweet in an old English kind of way had it not focused so much on the damned golf. I don’t know if Bobby Jones is a real golfer, but the parts including him seemed a bit forced, not to mention unbelievable.

The characters – Jack and Sadie are well done. Despite being husband and wide, they are polar opposites when it comes to life in the new country. Sadie wants to hang on to her traditions, while Jack is determined to lose them all (even going so far to change his name to something more English). Their daughter, Elizabeth, remains a mystery though – what was her rationale for wanting to change? The villagers, while occasionally being stereotyped, are ‘good eggs’ and the reader really does feel sadness at some of the events that happen. However, I can’t get over the fact that this book really dragged out for me and perhaps I shouldn’t be blaming it all on the golf – maybe it needed better editing. The descriptions of the English countryside were lovingly rendered though.

I didn’t buy Solomons’ second book, The Novel in the Viola and I think I’ll hold onto my money for now – or wait for a 75% off sale.

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

A quick rundown… Moll Flanders (not her real name) will do anything to survive – prostitution, stealing, multiple marriages…

Strengths: Must have been very original for its time.

Weaknesses: Sometimes it’s difficult to work out which man Moll is speaking about, as she doesn’t use names.

Why I read it: Green Penguin Classics are awesome (and wallet-friendly).

Pages: 339

Published: 1722

Publisher: Penguin

Setting: England, USA

Rating: 7 out of 10

If you liked this, try: The Crimson and the White by Michael Faber

Moll Flanders was another of my cheap green Penguin Classics reads. This must have been rather a controversial story for its time, as Moll (one of the few named characters) is involved in many taboo subjects – sex before marriage, prostitution, gaol and incest to name a few. Even to myself as a modern reader, I was surprised at some of her exploits.

This book is somewhat different to what I’m used to. For starters, it has no chapters. Not that much of a problem, just difficult to find a good stopping place. The second issue is that hardly any of the characters are named – even Moll is a pseudonym. Moll’s husbands and lovers are not named – which is difficult when she has several of them! This did make it a little difficult for me to keep track of who was who, especially when Moll’s previous husbands turned up later in the story.

Those points aside, this would make a rollicking movie or mini-series as the nature of Moll’s downfall and eventual redemption are still topical today. I must seek one out. Moll is born in prison, yet grows up in a more gentle household engaged to one brother, but being paid for sex with the other. Her husbands disappear in various circumstances – on the run from the law and one turns out to be her own brother. I found Moll’s role as a thief to be the most interesting as the devious ways to steal things were rather imaginative (for example, telling someone their house is on fire!). Despite her trials, Moll has the ability to turn a situation to benefit her while remaining cheerful.

Certainly an interesting life, I just wish I could have kept better track of the husbands!

Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

A quick rundown… A slightly geeky boy’s first year at university – girls, booze and living away from home. You can imagine what happens next.

Strengths: Nicholls has the nerdy boy thing down pat.

Weaknesses: Sometimes Brian can be cringeworthy.

Why I read it: Adored One Day.

Pages: 352

Published: 2003

Publisher: Villard

Setting: England

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

If you liked this, try: Bachelor Kisses by Nick Earls

Despite the title, this is not a book about dinner parties or working as a waiter. ‘Starter for ten’ refers to the game show University Challenge, of which Brian the protagonist is a little bit of a fan of. By the author of the acclaimed (and now slightly dodgy movie) book One Day, David Nicholls tells us the tale of Brian, a truly awkward teenager going to university in the 80s. Brian, brought up by his mother after his dad died, thinks he’s not too bad – he loves Kate Bush, has some pretty cool clothes and is sure he’s going to get somewhere with the girls at university where he’s reading English Literature. Unfortunately, he’s also kind of geeky and has the innate ability to create some situations that despite Brian’s best efforts are cringeworthy in a squeamish way.

Nicholls starts each chapter with a question and answer that would come from a University Challenge show. These kind of relate to the theme of the chapter as well as being a good trivia source. Despite Brian’s best intentions, he only scrapes onto his university’s team by default – and is caught between two girls, the gorgeously rich Alice and the tough Rebecca. This is kind of a stereotypical subplot, but it has some hilarious moments that you can’t help but snigger at.

While Brian’s awkwardness is charming at first, it does start to wear thin as it gets him into more and more trouble, with some scenes reading as more slapstick than Nick Hornby-esque fiction. Nicholls does realise this and while the ending is not life-changing, it does give a more realistic picture of Brian’s immaturity.

A very fast read, but a good one. I would recommend this for travel except for the fact you could laugh at some very inopportune moments!

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop Winner

Congratulations to all of you who entered the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop. I’m pleased to say that the winner is:

Rachel, of And the plot thickens…

Thank you to all who entered and I hope you enjoyed the Hop. Thanks again to Leeswammes for organising this event.

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop 15th-19th October

It’s time for another Literary Giveaway Blog Hop hosted by the kind Leeswammes! This weekend, over 50 bloggers will be giving away some great prizes!

From October 15th-19th, 2011, I will be giving away one copy of Evelyn Waugh’s A Handful of Dust in the Popular Penguin format. I really enjoyed this book (review coming soon) and after finishing it, I immediately rushed out to find more of his books. This book is about a married couple and an affair, with some shocking twists and consequences.  I am happy to post this book anywhere in the world.

Rules

1. You need to leave a comment on this post with some way that I can contact you (email is perfect).

2. Giveaway closes at 11:59pm GMT 19th October 2011.

3. I will email the winner (picked using a random number generator based on order of comments) within 48 hours of the closing date. If the winner does not reply within one week of my email, I will draw the prize again.

4. Open to residents around the world with an address I can mail the parcel to.

Good luck and please check out the other blogs participating!

Leeswammes Devouring Texts The Book Whisperer Seaside Book Nook The Scarlet Letter (US only) Rikki’s Teleidoscope Bibliosue Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea The Book Diva’s Reads Gaskella Lucybird’s Book Blog Kim’s Bookish Place The Book Garden Under My Apple Tree Helen Smith Sam Still Reading Nishita’s Rants and Raves Ephemeral Digest Bookworm with a View The Parrish Lantern Dolce Bellezza Lena Sledge Blog Book Clutter I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (US only) The Blue Bookcase Book Journey (US only) The House of the Seven Tails (US only) In One Eye, Out the Other (US only) Read, Write & Live Fresh Ink Books

Living, Learning, and Loving Life (US only) Bibliophile By the Sea Laurie Here Reading & Writing Reviews Amy’s Book World (US only) Teadevotee Joy’s Book Blog Word Crushes (US only) Thinking About Loud! Kinna Reads Sweeping Me Minding Spot (US only) Babies, Books, and Signs (US only) Lisa Beth Darling Tony’s Reading List SusieBookworm (US only) Tell Me A Story Close Encounters with the Night Kind Nerfreader Mevrouw Kinderboek (Netherlands, Belgium) Boekblogger (Netherlands) In Spring it is the Dawn No Page Left Behind Elle Lit

Disco Boy by Dominic Knight

A quick rundown… Paul is meant to be a lawyer, but he’s a DJ spinning tracks while he gets his life together.

Strengths: It’s very funny in places.

Weaknesses: Is this bloke lit? Or chick lit from a male point of view?

Why I read it: I love The Chaser.

Pages: 295

Published: 2009

Publisher: Bantam

Setting: Sydney, Australia

Rating: 8 out of 10

If you liked this, try: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

I love The Chaser (if you’re not Australian, you might be more familiar with them as ‘the guys that crashed APEC doing a motorcade dressed as Osama Bin Laden’). And so, I love Dominic Knight, one of the Chaser boys more likely to be found writing or behind the camera these days (he also writes some very funny tweets – worth following). However, it did take me some time to get round to reading his first piece of fiction, Disco Boy, which comes complete with quote from fellow Chaser, Chas Licciardello (that’s the guy who played Osama in the above stunt). In case you can’t see it on the cover, Chas writes, ‘If Nick Hornby and the Buddha wrote a book together, it’d be much better than this one’. Funny, but with a grain of truth because Knight’s writing reminds me of an Australian Hornsby.

Disco Boy is unashamedly Australian (nothing wrong with that, except the novel is set in Sydney – blergh). It makes the most of picturesque settings such as Sydney Harbour, ferries as a form of transport and the great weather. Sydney/Melbourne arguments aside, this book delightfully captures the musings of Paul, who has a degree in law but is trying to refuse the conveyor belt to hell of CBD law firms and the working day that never stops. So, he’s living with his parents, doing DJ gigs to make some money while he works on his music and lazes about. Unfortunately for Paul, his DJ savvy turns to nothing after a poor choice of song on a harbour cruise and he quits. He is then enticed back to his law firm (short term, part time –really!) where he lusts after lawyer Felicity, while fighting off the younger Emily then pouring it all out to friend Zoe. Surely every man would like three lovely ladies in his life?

In between hilariously satirical mishaps (and I do mean hilarious – Knight has a talent for this), Disco Boy counts down great party songs from 40 to 1 culminating in a somewhat predictable ending, but pleasing all the same. I finished this book with a smile on my face – it’s light and entertaining Aussie fiction, something we don’t have enough of. It also pokes fun at the need to be one better all the time – we all should just cut it out and stop pretending like Paul.

Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah

A quick rundown… Naomi’s lover has gone missing but the police don’t seem helpful. However, when she says she’s a victim of rape, a whole new series of cases is opened.

Strengths: Gives both sides of the story – the victim and the police. Despite it being the second in a series about a pair of detectives, no background is required.

Weaknesses: Naomi’s not the easiest character to like and it takes time to work out where this story is heading.

Why I read it: Read recommendations for Hannah’s books on Novel Insights.

Pages: 408

Published: 2007

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Setting: England

Rating: 8 out of 10

If you liked this, try: The Brock and Kolla mysteries by Barry Maitland (such as The Marx Sisters
and Babel)

I can’t resist a bargain. $10 for a paperback is a bargain to me, so I bought this copy after reading the glowing reviews for Sophie Hannah on Novel Insights. At the demise of my local Borders store, I picked up another Hannah book (why were there so many left?), thinking that if I didn’t enjoy this book, I’d give the other to my mother. No chance, I really enjoyed Hurting Distance and plan to read the entire series.

Don’t stop reading at the mention of the word ‘series’. These books can easily be read alone and out of sequence (like the Brock and Kolla mysteries by Barry Maitland). Although they feature the same detectives (Charlie –female- and Simon) who seem to have some on-again, off-again relationship, their relationship is only a minor part of the backstory. The focus is on the crime, and what I’ve found unique in regards to this book (and it seems, the other books in the series from a quick flick) is that they offer both the police view and the view of the victim.

Hurting Distance opens with the victim, Naomi Jenkins, reporting the disappearance of her lover Robert. As Robert’s married and only meets Naomi once a week, the police aren’t terribly interested. Naomi then tries desperately for them to recognise his disappearance by reporting a rape. Only it wasn’t Robert who raped her…or was it? The story then unfolds using alternate chapters to tell Naomi’s side of the story versus that of the police. Naomi’s not an easily likeable character and it takes the reader a while to work out what is going on in her head, but Charlie and Simon are instantly likeable.

Hannah uses both language that is lyrical and other devices (such as emails, police statements) to tell the story. In that way, she reminds me of Minette Walters but the story is original and doesn’t get bogged down the way some police procedurals do. Sure, the action does reach a crescendo as the pieces of the crime fall into place, but Hannah uses innovative details (such as Naomi being a sundial maker who once sold a font to Adobe) to make this original and very, very good.

Highly recommended! These books are also available as ebooks which I’ll probably make use of in the future.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A quick rundown… A boy and his family move to a seaside town, where something very strange and Gothic is going on.

Strengths: Ruiz Zafon always tells original stories that have you captivated.

Weaknesses: This is meant to be a young adult book, but I found it a bit scary!

Why I read it: Loved The Shadow of the Wind.

Pages: 208

Published: 2010

Publisher: Phoenix

Setting: Spain

Rating: 8 out of 10

If you liked this, try: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I absolutely loved The Shadow of the Wind with its Gothic elements and action-packed plot, so I eagerly bought this book when I saw it on sale. What I didn’t realise is that The Prince of Mist is intended for a younger audience and is a fairly quick read. However, the content of the book in my opinion is definitely not for children as it’s quite creepy and scary!
 
The story opens with similarities to The Shadow of the Wind, in that it is wartime in Spain and the protagonist is a young boy, Max. Max and the rest of his family move from the capital to a seaside town, but not all is as it seems. In the garden, there are strange statues that appear to be changing their poses daily. Max and his sister Alicia meet up with local boy Roland, who likes to dive down to a shipwreck that sank in mysterious circumstances. Their younger sister is later involved in a strange accident where the house seems to be playing tricks on them. However, Roland’s grandfather knows a lot more about how the ship went down and what’s wrong with the house Max lives in…
 
Once again, the translation from the Spanish brings out some beautiful prose and Carlos Ruiz Zafon certainly tells a intricate and detailed stoty (although not quite to the level of The Shadow of the Wind). However, I found this story quite scary as an adult (the changing of the statues to live beings was scary, as well the deals that Dr Kane was doing with young children)! Perhaps it is because the creepy Gothic angle may just have the possibility to happen…
 
I found this to be a very quick read and I hear that there could be a sequel in the works. Would I read it? Probably not – I’ll stick with the adult tales as the plot is less scary and more detailed.

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

A quick rundown… A woman murders her ex-husband and her neighbour helps to cover it up. How will the police work out what happened?

Strengths: Quirkily Japanese, an interesting way of telling a murder mystery.

Weaknesses: Focuses on the action, rather than the nuances of the characters and their motivation.

Why I read it: Very much hyped overseas, I was eagerly anticipating its release in Australia.

Pages: 384

Published: 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown

Setting: Japan

Rating: 7 out of 10

If you liked this, try: Villain by Shuichi Yoshida; Out by Natsuo Kirino

I was really looking forward to this book – completely caught up in the hype, I was stalking bookstore and ebook websites waiting to pounce. Once I finally got my hands on a copy, I began reading straight away. Perhaps my expectation of Japanese fiction has been influenced by Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Yoshida’s Villain, but I was hoping for beautiful prose, an analysis of the human psyche and amazing twists and turns in the plot. Sadly, I didn’t find this in The Devotion of Suspect X.

The plot sounds promising: a woman kills her ex-husband almost by accident with an electrical cord and her neighbour (who has a bit of a crush on her) helps her to cover everything up – from disposing of the body to inventing alibis for her and her daughter. Then things start to become too controlling… We also read of the murder from the point of view of the police, and a detective’s university lecturer friend.

While The Devotion of Suspect X has elements of Japanese quirkiness (the protagonist working in a bento shop, the murder weapon being a komatsu cord) it is effectively a murder story that focuses ultimately on the solving abilities of the police rather than the minds of those involved. It could be set anywhere in the world and Japan is not used as a unique backdrop. To put it frankly, this book is overhyped.

The language is nothing special either – whether that is true of Higashino’s writing or whether there is some loss in translation, I don’t know. There’s not enough description to paint a clear scene in my mind. Instead, the narrative focuses on the action but the impact of the police solving the murder is somewhat diminished as the reader saw the majority of it in the first place. The tying up of the ‘why’ the neighbour Ishigami assisted isn’t as interesting. It all seems kind of awkward.

Would I read anymore of Higashino’s translations? Probably, as I enjoy my Japanese fiction. But I certainly won’t be rushing out to purchase them hot off the press!