For my first book of 2014 I used a tried and tested method of selection - I stared at the bookshelves until something looked ok. I wanted something fairly modern that wouldn't prove too much of a challenge, and so a book that I seemed to be in the minority for not having read it fitted the bill.
The Da Vinci Code is, for the most part, set in Paris and is effectively one big cryptic treasure hunt. Only the stakes are a bit higher than in most treasure hunts, what with it starting with a murder and the 'hunters' being wanted by the police.
As I'd expected with such a popular book, the writing style was very easy reading (if a bit boring in places during extended 'technical' explanations). What I hadn't expected was to be so amused by the chapters. It was almost like the concept of sections within chapters didn't exist, with many chapters just 3 or 4 pages long. And when I found the chapter that was less than a page long I actually audibly laughed.
The best theme for me was the cryptology as I find codes and wordplay absolutely fascinating. Although it was a worry on occasions how slow the characters were to pick up on certain clues given their professions, most notably the very obvious mirror writing. In general the characters were alright - not strong enough that I grew particularly attached to them but they were deep enough to carry the storyline (the main ones at least).
Overall I'd say that the story was a good escape from everyday life, which is always a good point in a book. While I enjoyed reading it the chances of me re-reading are slim, but I might add another of Dan Brown's books to my huge 'To Read' list. At some point. In the future.
Friday, 10 January 2014
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
One of my new reading discoveries for the year was the short story, and how it can be much less frustrating to read a collection of them rather than having to constantly stop reading at a crucial point in the book. And so with life being busy (and me still not wanting to decide which book to read) I embarked on the next Sherlock Holmes collection.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes begins, as you would expect, with the return of Sherlock Holmes. His apparent death is handily explained and then forgotten about so that we can return to normal. Let that be a lesson to all authors - never kill your most popular character just because you want to write about something else for a while. In fact, the return to the 'golden days' was clearly required to such an extent that all changes in Watson's life are wiped out so that he can return to live with Holmes.
With much of the first story being dedicated to setting the 'new' scene there are really only 12 'proper' short stories in the collection. As would be expected, these vary greatly in subject matter and crime type. There are brutal cases, kidnappings, burglaries, and the odd instance of no crime being committed at all. More of the stories in this series feature Holmes working against the police rather than for them, which adds an interesting extra level to each plot.
As I read the stories over a fair length of time it is difficult to say if any stood out as better than the rest. I do remember that in The Adventure of the Six Napoleans I worked out where the plot was going. This means it must have been fairly see-through, given my lack of concentration lately! Still, the series as a whole was an enjoyable read.
My target for 2013 was to read 30 books. I think it's fairly safe to say that 13 is well short of the mark. Some major changes happened this year and reading is one of several parts of my life that got ignored. Still, I got some new books for Christmas and remain hopeful that this will set me off on the right path for 2014. Happy new year!
The Return of Sherlock Holmes begins, as you would expect, with the return of Sherlock Holmes. His apparent death is handily explained and then forgotten about so that we can return to normal. Let that be a lesson to all authors - never kill your most popular character just because you want to write about something else for a while. In fact, the return to the 'golden days' was clearly required to such an extent that all changes in Watson's life are wiped out so that he can return to live with Holmes.
With much of the first story being dedicated to setting the 'new' scene there are really only 12 'proper' short stories in the collection. As would be expected, these vary greatly in subject matter and crime type. There are brutal cases, kidnappings, burglaries, and the odd instance of no crime being committed at all. More of the stories in this series feature Holmes working against the police rather than for them, which adds an interesting extra level to each plot.
As I read the stories over a fair length of time it is difficult to say if any stood out as better than the rest. I do remember that in The Adventure of the Six Napoleans I worked out where the plot was going. This means it must have been fairly see-through, given my lack of concentration lately! Still, the series as a whole was an enjoyable read.
My target for 2013 was to read 30 books. I think it's fairly safe to say that 13 is well short of the mark. Some major changes happened this year and reading is one of several parts of my life that got ignored. Still, I got some new books for Christmas and remain hopeful that this will set me off on the right path for 2014. Happy new year!
Monday, 11 November 2013
Archangel - Robert Harris
So, the reading kick didn't really happen as I had hoped. It took me almost a month to read the next book I selected - yet another case of slowly reading a few chapters and then finishing most of the book off in the space of a day or so. And then it's taken me over a month to start writing about it. But I do have an excuse for that part. I finished reading this while I was in the early stages of labour, and strangely free time has been in short supply since then!
Not wanting to make a decision I asked my husband what book I should read next, and he picked something by Robert Harris. Archangel was the next book for me to read (in the order they were written) and so that is what I read. Archangel follows an academic called Kelso in a historical-mystery-scavenger hunt, searching for a notebook that belonged to Stalin.
In the same way that The Shadow of the Wind made me realise my ignorance about the Spanish Civil War, reading this made me realise how little I know about the rise, existence and fall of the USSR. Possibly knowing more would have enabled me to get more out of the book in terms of background context, but just enough background was provided that the plot still worked perfectly well.
The characters involved aren't the sort of people I'de want to spend the day with, however they fit the grittiness of the setting and plot. While it's not the sort of book that I'm desperate to have back on my 'to read' list I enjoyed the time I spent reading it (well, except for the pain I was in....).
Not wanting to make a decision I asked my husband what book I should read next, and he picked something by Robert Harris. Archangel was the next book for me to read (in the order they were written) and so that is what I read. Archangel follows an academic called Kelso in a historical-mystery-scavenger hunt, searching for a notebook that belonged to Stalin.
In the same way that The Shadow of the Wind made me realise my ignorance about the Spanish Civil War, reading this made me realise how little I know about the rise, existence and fall of the USSR. Possibly knowing more would have enabled me to get more out of the book in terms of background context, but just enough background was provided that the plot still worked perfectly well.
The characters involved aren't the sort of people I'de want to spend the day with, however they fit the grittiness of the setting and plot. While it's not the sort of book that I'm desperate to have back on my 'to read' list I enjoyed the time I spent reading it (well, except for the pain I was in....).
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
The Hound of the Baskervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle
There are many different reasons that people decide to try a new author or a new series of books. For me, with Sherlock Holmes it was this book that was the reason. Scanning down the list of 100 must-read novels on the Telegraph website I decided that this seemed a good pick. But, not one to do things by halves, I started from the beginning. And now that I've read the target novel I plan to continue to read the others.
The Hound of the Baskervilles tells the story of the Baskerville family, and the mystery and misfortune that has surrounded them. Although Holmes and Watson are introduced to the affair in London much of the story takes place in the Dartmoor area, where the Baskerville residence is situated. After one prominent member of the family has met their death in strange circumstances, should the surviving heir be worried of meeting a similar fate?
I confess, it took me quite a few chapters to get into this book. However, I should also confess that this is likely to be my fault. Starting a new story when over-tired or sat in a noisy office will never do it justice. Once safely curled up under a blanket on the sofa, though, I couldn't put it down. And for this reason I am now over-tired again.
The story is engaging, so much so that even in the last few chapters once the culprit is revealed there is still the urgent need to read on and find out more. After the short stories it was nice to return to a Sherlock Holmes book with sub-plots and twists. So many different threads of clues to unravel and then neatly stitch back together.
This isn't a book where characters develop or the world changes drastically. Instead it is a book that is very true to itself. It is a detective story, and a very good one. I would recommend reading earlier Sherlock Holmes stories first, so as to get used to the style of delivery, but if you've ever thought that this is a book you should read then you were right.
The Hound of the Baskervilles tells the story of the Baskerville family, and the mystery and misfortune that has surrounded them. Although Holmes and Watson are introduced to the affair in London much of the story takes place in the Dartmoor area, where the Baskerville residence is situated. After one prominent member of the family has met their death in strange circumstances, should the surviving heir be worried of meeting a similar fate?
I confess, it took me quite a few chapters to get into this book. However, I should also confess that this is likely to be my fault. Starting a new story when over-tired or sat in a noisy office will never do it justice. Once safely curled up under a blanket on the sofa, though, I couldn't put it down. And for this reason I am now over-tired again.
The story is engaging, so much so that even in the last few chapters once the culprit is revealed there is still the urgent need to read on and find out more. After the short stories it was nice to return to a Sherlock Holmes book with sub-plots and twists. So many different threads of clues to unravel and then neatly stitch back together.
This isn't a book where characters develop or the world changes drastically. Instead it is a book that is very true to itself. It is a detective story, and a very good one. I would recommend reading earlier Sherlock Holmes stories first, so as to get used to the style of delivery, but if you've ever thought that this is a book you should read then you were right.
Sunday, 8 September 2013
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Sorting things into categories is a habit that is picked up at a young age. It makes things neat and provides a sense of order. When it comes to books, those categories could be target age or size but normally would be genre. So when someone puts a book on your bedside table and describes it as "a good book that doesn't really fit a category" it's a little disconcerting, and kind of hard to know what to expect.
The Shadow of the Wind is set in Barcelona in the 1940s and 50s and follows the life of Daniel, a young boy whose life is changed forever by a book. As he grows up, the desire to know more about the life of the book's author starts to take over, and it turns out he's not the only one that wants to know more.
I can see why my husband couldn't categorise this book, even putting aside the fact he remembered little other than that it was good. It's a story of someone's life as they try to find the story of someone else's life. And like any life it has a variety of tones and events. There is romance, there is lust, there is longing. The theme of loss, of losing someone close to you, runs strongly throughout. At the same time, the harsh brutalities of war are showcased. And the whole thing is held together with a detective-style thread of discovery. So much for neat little boxes.
But actually, you don't need to be able to put something in a box to enjoy it. I was swept away into Daniel's world and found myself wanting to know the same things he longed to discover. That's not to say that it didn't annoy me at times. In a first-person situation it's only natural to get frustrated with the narrator, and occasionally to want to bash some sense into them. It's the things like that which make a good book a good book. If you don't care enough to feel then something has gone wrong.
I like the idea of a book making such an impact in your life. Sure, I would hope for a little less pain than was inflicted on Daniel. A good book should make you think. If you feel the same after reading as you did before then it seems questionable how highly you really rated it. It's fair to say that this one made me think, and I'm placing it in the category of books that I would recommend.
The Shadow of the Wind is set in Barcelona in the 1940s and 50s and follows the life of Daniel, a young boy whose life is changed forever by a book. As he grows up, the desire to know more about the life of the book's author starts to take over, and it turns out he's not the only one that wants to know more.
I can see why my husband couldn't categorise this book, even putting aside the fact he remembered little other than that it was good. It's a story of someone's life as they try to find the story of someone else's life. And like any life it has a variety of tones and events. There is romance, there is lust, there is longing. The theme of loss, of losing someone close to you, runs strongly throughout. At the same time, the harsh brutalities of war are showcased. And the whole thing is held together with a detective-style thread of discovery. So much for neat little boxes.
But actually, you don't need to be able to put something in a box to enjoy it. I was swept away into Daniel's world and found myself wanting to know the same things he longed to discover. That's not to say that it didn't annoy me at times. In a first-person situation it's only natural to get frustrated with the narrator, and occasionally to want to bash some sense into them. It's the things like that which make a good book a good book. If you don't care enough to feel then something has gone wrong.
I like the idea of a book making such an impact in your life. Sure, I would hope for a little less pain than was inflicted on Daniel. A good book should make you think. If you feel the same after reading as you did before then it seems questionable how highly you really rated it. It's fair to say that this one made me think, and I'm placing it in the category of books that I would recommend.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Utopia - Lincoln Child
For various reasons this is review has been delayed a fair bit, and for the same reasons this won't be the best writing I've ever done!
Utopia is a science fiction book about a theme park of the same name. Not just any run-of-the-mill theme park, it is the biggest and most high-tech in the world. Special effects and automation come as standard, and the whole operation runs like clockwork. Until the technology goes wrong, that is.
Other than the prologue and epilogue, the story is set over a single day in the park's life, which makes for an interesting perspective. Different chapters focus on the paths of different characters, and the format worked really well in terms of intensity.
Due to the nature of a one-day plot there clearly wasn't a lot of scope for character development, but I didn't mind that so much as the story itself was enough. I loved Terri as a character, because geek girls who are both good at their job and a rounded human can be hard to find in books. However, some of the characters were a little shallow.
Overall it was definitely a page-turner. I found myself trying to sneak in 'just one more' chapter during lunch breaks. My first dip into the world of science fiction for adults was a success.
Utopia is a science fiction book about a theme park of the same name. Not just any run-of-the-mill theme park, it is the biggest and most high-tech in the world. Special effects and automation come as standard, and the whole operation runs like clockwork. Until the technology goes wrong, that is.
Other than the prologue and epilogue, the story is set over a single day in the park's life, which makes for an interesting perspective. Different chapters focus on the paths of different characters, and the format worked really well in terms of intensity.
Due to the nature of a one-day plot there clearly wasn't a lot of scope for character development, but I didn't mind that so much as the story itself was enough. I loved Terri as a character, because geek girls who are both good at their job and a rounded human can be hard to find in books. However, some of the characters were a little shallow.
Overall it was definitely a page-turner. I found myself trying to sneak in 'just one more' chapter during lunch breaks. My first dip into the world of science fiction for adults was a success.
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
The Magician's Apprentice - Trudi Canavan
Whatever anyone tries to tell you, size does matter. And in the case of The Magician's Apprentice, I was very nearly put off by the bulky size, particularly relative to my ultra-light Kindle. What I failed to remember, though, is that other things matter more than size. If a book absorbs you into its world and has you hooked then you quickly forget how big it is, until you try to put it in a small bag of course!
The Magician's Apprentice is a prequel to Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy, which I read a few years ago and absolutely loved. For some reason I've been putting off reading this prequel for a while. This was a mistake in several ways. The first is practical. As with all prequels, many references are made to concepts that are accepted as norms by the 'later' stories. While I remembered the basics of how the Guild worked, for example, I felt like I was missing out a little by having to work to understand certain ideas.
However, the main reason it was a mistake is that this is a really good book, and really good books should not sit on your shelves for that long waiting to be read. I may have mentioned previously that I get on well with Trudi Canavan's writing style, and that definitely helps when trying to lose yourself in a world.
The setup of the world itself and the characters within it are beautifully described and easy to warm to. So much so that I commented to my husband early on that I didn't want there to be a plot. I have read books before that introduced wonderful characters that were then completely changed by unenjoyable (to me) plotlines that completely ruined things. In this case though, the plots worked. There was a balance that ensured character development and a realistic number of war casualties, without taking away what made you fall in love with the characters in the first place.
And yes, I definitely did fall in love with the characters which, as I have definitely mentioned before, will usually win me over. Wonderful characters, an eventful plot, and lots of good magic thrown in. Who could ask for anything more?
The Magician's Apprentice is a prequel to Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy, which I read a few years ago and absolutely loved. For some reason I've been putting off reading this prequel for a while. This was a mistake in several ways. The first is practical. As with all prequels, many references are made to concepts that are accepted as norms by the 'later' stories. While I remembered the basics of how the Guild worked, for example, I felt like I was missing out a little by having to work to understand certain ideas.
However, the main reason it was a mistake is that this is a really good book, and really good books should not sit on your shelves for that long waiting to be read. I may have mentioned previously that I get on well with Trudi Canavan's writing style, and that definitely helps when trying to lose yourself in a world.
The setup of the world itself and the characters within it are beautifully described and easy to warm to. So much so that I commented to my husband early on that I didn't want there to be a plot. I have read books before that introduced wonderful characters that were then completely changed by unenjoyable (to me) plotlines that completely ruined things. In this case though, the plots worked. There was a balance that ensured character development and a realistic number of war casualties, without taking away what made you fall in love with the characters in the first place.
And yes, I definitely did fall in love with the characters which, as I have definitely mentioned before, will usually win me over. Wonderful characters, an eventful plot, and lots of good magic thrown in. Who could ask for anything more?
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