Holding - Graham Norton

Description

The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; mother-of-two Brid Riordan hasn’t always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn’t always felt that her life was a total waste.

So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke – a former love of both Brid and Evelyn – the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad, Holding is a masterful debut. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of loveable characters, and explore – with searing honesty – the complexities and contradictions that make us human.

Review

I was intrigued that Graham Norton had written a novel and couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately for me the first half of the book I could not get into this novel. This is described as darkly comic and I could hear Graham's voice in my head, just like on the radio, narrating, and the two just didn't go together. I also did not at first find the characters loveable as described at all.

When I got to Part 2 of the book something just clicked - I began to enjoy the book more and certainly by the last third I was so intrigued to find out what had happened all those years ago and whose body had been found. Even the characters took on a different level and I warmed to the Garda PJ and his housekeeper Mrs Meany and also to Brid.

There is some very insightful writing here and at times it reminded me a little of a Maeve Binchy novel -where everyone knows everyone and has an opinion on them, but they all rally round for each other. The plot is a clever one and Graham has also used his knowledge of Ireland to give an authentic feel to the characters.

I did enjoy the book in the end - once I had a neutral voice in my head with no wicked nuances of Graham. I would be interested to read his next novel - I'm sure there will be one.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks go to Netgalley for a copy of the book to review.

The Sellout - Paul Beatty

Description

*Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2016*

A biting satire about a young man's isolated upbringing and the race trial that sends him to the Supreme Court, The Sellout showcases a comic genius at the top of his game.

Born in Dickens on the southern outskirts of Los Angeles, the narrator of The Sellout spent his childhood as the subject in his father's racially charged psychological studies. He is told that his father’s work will lead to a memoir that will solve their financial woes. But when his father is killed in a drive-by shooting, he discovers there never was a memoir. All that’s left is a bill for a drive-through funeral.

What’s more, Dickens has literally been wiped off the map to save California from further embarrassment. Fuelled by despair, the narrator sets out to right this wrong with the most outrageous action conceivable: reinstating slavery and segregating the local high school, which lands him in the Supreme Court.

In his trademark absurdist style, which has the uncanny ability to make readers want to both laugh and cry, The Sellout is an outrageous and outrageously entertaining indictment of our time.

Review

I read the synopsis for this novel when it won the Booker Prize and thought it sounded really interesting - so I requested a copy for review. 

Unfortunately the book did not live up to my expectations. There were parts that were laugh out loud funny, but there was so much that either went over my head or was an American reference that I just didn't understand.

I did find this book very tiring to read and was unable to read it for long periods of time.This is one man's story told in the first person and the dialogue felt like it went at a hundred miles an hour with no pauses for a breath. It was ok for a while, but a whole book? I felt exhausted. Think of going to see a stand up and him talking for 4 hours - I just lost focus every so often.

I kept going with the book because there were bursts of dialogue that really grabbed me and I loved it - thought I was finally getting it, but then it would fade away from me again. I loved the writer who was rewriting books.

I appreciate that this is great writing, with some powerful thinking - it is probably a great book, I'm sure a reading group would spend ages discussing it,  it's just not for me. I would compare the writing to that in Catcher in the Rye - another great book and another that was not really for me.

I'm giving this book 2 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to to Netgalley for supplying me with a copy of the book for review.

Miracle on 5th Avenue - Sarah Morgan

Description

Hopeless romantic Eva loves everything about Christmas. Even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner.

Bestselling crime writer, and notorious cynic, Lucas Blade has hidden himself away in his penthouse with a deadline looming. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva and Lucas snowbound together will Lucas finally see the magic, and happily ever after that Christmas can bring?

Review

I've read a few of Sarah Morgan's books but not in this trilogy. However, the book stands alone and so you can read it without having read the previous books. You can always rely on Sarah for a nice romance and a Christmassy read.

I love that this book has the love interest as Lucas Blade, he was a great character and the fact that he was a crime writer (one of my fav genres) just made it perfect teamed with New York and Christmas! Sarah paints a lovely picture of a snow covered Manhattan with the sparked relationship between Lucas and Eva.

The characters are so well written that I could really visualise them in my minds eye and even begin to second guess how they were about to react. Eva has some great comedic lines which I loved to read.

Every so often it is nice just to escape to another world and Sarah certainly allows you to do that. With trips to Tiffany's, walks down 5th avenue and  snow in Central Park. A magical read - especially the Snowflake Ball at the Plaza Hotel.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks go to Negalley for an advance copy of the book to review.

Missing, Presumed - Susie Steiner

Description

A MISSING GIRL
Edith Hind is gone, leaving just her coat, a smear of blood and a half-open door.

A DESPERATE FAMILY
Each of her friends and relatives has a version of the truth. But none quite adds up.

A DETECTIVE AT BREAKING POINT
The press grows hungrier by the day. Can DS Manon Bradshaw fend them off, before a missing persons case becomes a murder investigation?

Review

Something in the description of this book made me think that this wouldn't be a normal run of the mill crime read - and I was right.

The basic plot of the book is that Edith is missing - cue the usual police procedure, press conference etc. However the book goes further with a look behind not only DS Manon Bradshaw and her love life, but also her colleagues and the friends and family of the missing girl.

This book really hooked me in - not only in the whodunnit sense but also what would become of DS Manon - is she going to find love or go a step too far in her investigations preventing her from ever finding the happy ever after that she longs for. The writing is so insightful - little things which we take for granted and do or see others do are replicated, making the writing feel very real and ordinary - in a good way. My favourite character was Manon - she had some great lines and I could see this easily translating into TV. 

Seemingly unrelated events make this a real twisty read - I could not wait to get to the end, it was so intriguing. I was just left with my mouth gaping when the revelations came.

I loved the "1 year later" at the end of the book. It really rounded off the story but also gives a chance for us to I assume revisit Manon in another book.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars with thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book for review.

One Less Problem Without You - Beth Harbison

Description

Meet Prinny, Chelsea and Diana. Prinny is the owner of Cosmos, a shop that sells crystals, potions, candles, and hope. It’s also a place where no one turns down a little extra-special cocktail that can work as a romance potion or heal a broken heart. But Prinny is in love with her married lawyer and she’ll need nothing short of magic to forget about him.

Chelsea works as a living statue at tourist sites around Washington, DC. It's a thankless job, but it helps pay the rent. That, and her part-time job at Cosmos. As her dream of becoming a successful actress starts to seem more remote and the possibility of being a permanently struggling one seems more realistic, Chelsea begins to wonder: at one point do you give up on your dreams? And will love ever be in the cards for her?

Diana Tiesman is married to Leif, a charismatic man who isn’t faithful. But no matter how many times he lets her down, Diana just can't let him go. She knows the only way she can truly breakaway is if she leaves and goes where he will never think to follow. So she ends up at Cosmos with Leif’s stepsister, where she makes her homemade teas and tinctures as she figures out whether she'd rather be lonely alone than lonely in love.

In Beth Harbison's One Less Problem Without You, three women suddenly find themselves together at their own very different crossroads. It will take hope, love, strength and a little bit of magic for them to find their way together.

Review

Having  read a couple of Beth's novels now, I thought this was going to be a light hearted read, but actually it is quite a dark book. With bullying, sexual and pyhsical abuse amongst the pages of the book. But it isn't too heavy on those areas, so don't let that put you off reading it.

It was I found a good read, I really wanted to find out what would happen to each of these women. Would they get justice, their hearts desires? There are some flash backs to help us understand how each of the women came to be where they are now but unlike some books, I didn't find this done in a confusing way.

One aspect I particularly liked about the book and it isn't immediately revealed, is that Prinny is actually physic, and not just playing shop with Cosmos. This leads to an interesting aspect of the book that otherwise wouldn't be possible.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks go to Netgalley for a review copy of the book.

A Shoe Addict's Christmas - Beth Harbison

Description
Noelle is not a fan of the holidays and to make matters worse, she is at a crossroads in her life when it seems that love and adventure are no longer possible. When she stays late at her job in a department store on a snowy Christmas Eve she accidentally gets locked in after closing. She isn’t too concerned about the prospect of spending the night in the store…until a woman appears out of nowhere and tells Noelle that she’s her guardian angel. Soon Noelle finds herself camped out in the shoe department facing several “ghosts” of Christmases past, present, and future...Will visiting the holidays of yesterday and tomorrow help Noelle see the true spirit of Christmas? And will the love she has longed for all her life be the best surprise gift of all?

Review

I loved Beth Harbison's If I Could Turn Back Time and was eager to read this novella which is 176 pages long. 

I wasn't disappointed this is a lovely tale - very Christmassy in the setting but you could read it at any time of the year. If like me you love James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life then you will totally appreciate this book.

It's a little dreaming for Christmas and it all begins as Noelle gets locked in a Department store on Christmas eve - left to wander where she wants - what a dream! Then Noelle meets Charlie her guardian angel and sees what might have been......

This would make a lovely stocking filler for someone - an easy read with a nod to "Sliding Doors".

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Netgalley for an advance ecopy of this book which is due out on 18 October 2016.

Timekeepers - Simon Garfield

Description

An entertaining and authoritative exploration of how and why time has come to rule our lives from the bestselling author of Just My Type.

Not so long ago we timed our lives by the movement of the sun. These days our time arrives atomically and insistently, and our lives are propelled by the notion that we will never have enough of the one thing we crave the most. How have we come to be dominated by something so arbitrary?

The compelling stories in this book explore our obsessions with time. An Englishman arrives back from Calcutta but refuses to adjust his watch. Beethoven has his symphonic wishes ignored. A moment of war is frozen forever. The timetable arrives by steam train. A woman designs a ten-hour clock and reinvents the calendar. Roger Bannister becomes stuck in the same four minutes forever. A British watchmaker competes with mighty Switzerland. And a prince attempts to stop time in its tracks.

Timekeepers is a vivid exploration of the ways we have perceived, contained and saved time over the last 250 years, narrated in the highly inventive and entertaining style that bestselling author Simon Garfield is fast making his own. As managing time becomes the greatest challenge we face in our lives, this multi-layered history helps us tackle it in a sparkling new light.

Review

I'm a little obsessed with time and so I thought this book would be ideal for me. A lot of the chapters have interesting premises but at times I found the links to time becoming tenuous in the true sense of time. However, what Simon Garfield has done is a little like a good comedian, taken a concept, in this case time and then explored what that means to different people. He certainly has some amusing tales and facts within the book. We find out about how people used time in different eras and how time changed the world.

The fact that the railways standardised time is something I have read about before, and some of the themes if you are familiar with this subject you will no doubt have read about also. However, Garfield does cover some obscure and interesting areas. Such as how did they decide on the length of a cd? How long should it take to play Beethovens 9th? The workings of a car assembly line to time management and that old adage "ask a consultant to tell you the time and he will ask to borrow your watch and keep it".

This is quite a heavy book in places and is really something to be dipped in and out of. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for review.