The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

(272 pages)



Leo Gursky is a man who fell in love at the age of ten and has been in love ever since. These days he is just about surviving life in America, tapping his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbour know he's still alive, drawing attention to himself at the milk counter of Starbucks. But life wasn't always like this: sixty years ago in the Polish village where he was born Leo fell in love with a young girl called Alma and wrote a book in honour of his love. These days he assumes that the book, and his dreams, are irretrievably lost, until one day they return to him in the form of a brown envelope.
Meanwhile, a young girl, hoping to find a cure for her mother's loneliness, stumbles across a book that changed her mother's life and she goes in search of the author. Soon these and other worlds collide in The History of Love, a captivating story of the power of love, of loneliness and of survival.

This was an unusual and touching book, which once I got into i really enjoyed. Leo was a fantastic character, and I also loved Bruno... but who was he??? !!! It is the type of book that you want to read over and over just to see if you missed something the first time :)

Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Chorderlos de Laclos

(400 pages)



The complex moral ambiguities of seduction and revenge make this text one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. The subject of major film and stage adaptations, the novel's prime movers, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, form an unholy alliance and turn seduction into a game - a game which they must win. This translation gives Laclos a modern voice, and readers will be able a judge whether the novel is as "diabolical" and "infamous" as its critics have claimed, or whether it has much to tell us about the kind of world we ourselves live in. David Coward's introduction explodes myths about Laclos's own life and puts the book in its literary and cultural context.

Being such a massive fan of "Dangerous Liasons" and the modern "Cruel Intentions", I felt that I ought to read the book they were based on. Unfortunately I found it very hard going and extremely difficult to get into. Because I knew the basic outline of the story, I was able to persevere, and did eventually quite enjoy it, and I am glad that I read it, but it isn't a book that I would want to read again.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

(436 pages)



Two years ago, Eva Khatchadourian's son, Kevin, murdered seven of his fellow high-school students, a cafeteria worker, and a popular algebra teacher. Because he was only fifteen at the time of the killings, he received a lenient sentence and is now in a prison for young offenders in upstate New York. Telling the story of Kevin's upbringing, Eva addresses herself to her estranged husband through a series of letters. Fearing that her own shortcomings may have shaped what her son has become, she confesses to a deep, long-standing ambivalence about both motherhood in general and Kevin in particular. How much is her fault? Lionel Shriver tells a compelling, absorbing, and resonant story while framing these horrifying tableaux of teenage carnage as metaphors for the larger tragedy - the tragedy of a country where everything works, nobody starves, and anything can be bought but a sense of purpose.

i found this quite difficult to read, but once I had got into it I did find it quite gripping. I am very glad that I have read it.

The Feline Mystique by Clea Simon

(256 pages)



Part history of a species, part personal memoir, and featuring a healthy dose of wry humor, Clea Simon's The Feline Mystique shares the tale of her particular cat (Cyrus) set against a backdrop of interviews and statistics on cats throughout the world. Smoothly blending mythology with modern stories of dedicated feral cat rescuers, feline fanciers might bond with this book as tightly as they've bonded with their own wee beastie.
The focus is relentlessly female and a happy counterpoint to urban myths and ancient folk tales about lonely women and their up-to-no-good pets. Simon walks us through her initial bond with a young kitten, through the warm years of record-clawing, arm-kneading, keyboard-walking, veterinarian-terrorizing cat companionship, and leads us gently through the sadness of parting with a beloved animal. You won't find practical tips on health care or soapboxes about the problem of strays in the city--just page after page of individualized love and fascination. From Norse goddess Freya and her flying cats to references of a study done on the annual kill of an outdoors-living housecat to an interview with Barnum and Bailey's female tiger tamer, each detail helps construct a solid picture of the multifaceted relationship possible between a woman and her cat.

Whilst being the doting owner of a lovely moggie, I am admittedly more of a dog person. This book however has managed to turn me to why my little one acts the way she does and why I lover her as I do, and finally convinced me that i am not insane by thinking she is talking tome.... SHE IS!!!! A very hard book to describe, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

(256 pages)



Far in the future, the World Controllers have created the ideal society. Through clever use of genetic engineering, brainwashing and recreational sex and drugs all its members are happy consumers. Bernard Marx seems alone in feeling discontent. Harbouring an unnatural desire for solitude, and a perverse distaste for the pleasures of compulsory promiscuity, Bernard has an ill-defined longing to break free. A visit to one of the few remaining Savage Reservations where the old, imperfect life still continues, may be the cure for his distress - Huxley's ingenious fantasy of the future sheds a blazing light on the present and is considered to be his most enduring masterpiece.

i had a really hard time with this book. I just managed to finish it, but I can't say I enjoyed it. I found it really disturbing and very scary that someone so long a go could've come up with ideas like Huxley did, that are now part of our reality. Very Scary!!
I am glad that I read it though.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

(292 pages)



(from Amazon)This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters, it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? And we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. Finally, we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility.
I decided to read this when i got up this morning, and believie it or not had finished it just after lunchtime. I couldn't put it down. I was so moved and touched buy Morrie's determination and ability to see the bright side of things even in the most horrid of situations.
Mitch Albom has written a book that is so easy to read and also manages to grab you and touch you whilst chuckling along. I really felt that I had missed out on something by not having known Morrie whilst he was alive, but at least I now have a sense of what a marvellous man he must have been.

Daniel Isn't Talking by Marti Leimbach

(288 pages)



The new novel from Marti Leimbach, author of the internationally best-selling "Dying Young".
My husband saw me at a party and decided he wanted to marry me. Melanie Marsh is an American living in London married to Stephen, the perfect Englishman, who knew the minute he saw her that she was to be his future. But when their youngest child is diagnosed with autism their marriage starts to unravel at great speed. Stephen runs back into the arms of his previous girlfriend while Melanie does everything in her power to help her son and keep her family together. And then one day Melanie hears about a man named Andy O'Connor, who calls himself a "play therapist" and has a client list so long she can barely get him on the phone. Some say he's a maverick and a con artist of the first degree, but when he walks into the house and starts playing with her child, Melanie knows she's found the key to her son's success, and possibly to her own happiness. "Daniel Isn't Talking" is a passionate and darkly humorous novel that explores a mother's determination to help her child. A love story for grown ups, it somehow extends its wisdom far beyond the parameters of disability and into the substance of human nature itself. A tense, moving novel that will make you laugh at loud even as it breaks your heart.

Melanie is an American living in London. She has everything… a house a handsome English husband and two beautiful children. But Daniel her youngest child isn’t like other children. He doesn’t talk and has a strange obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine. She finds out after visiting numerous specialists that Daniel is autistic. Stephen (her husband) thinks that this is as good as a death sentence and wants Daniel to be enrolled in a special school as soon as possible. Melanie on the other hand is determined for Daniel to be like any other child and seeks help from every corner. Amongst Melanie’s desperation the marriage falls apart, but she does find Andy, a play therapist who is supposed to be able to work wonders. And he does. Before long Daniel is playing and talking, and a new love is blossoming, but can Melanie find a new happiness?
This novel is absolutely wonderful. It pulls you through all the emotions imaginable and Melanie is so endearing and strong that you wished you knew her! There is nothing she wont do for Daniel, including pawning her engagement ring and selling half her furniture. Through all the sorrow and hardships, Melanie always manages to find hope, sometimes at the expense of her own happiness, but she is so believable. You feel what she feels, cry when she cries and ultimately, are ecstatic for her when she makes the right decisions for herself.
In Melanie, Marti Leimbach has created an unlikely hero, bringing to the fore the humanity of families with disabled children and the hope there is for them, warts and all. It was totally unputdownable.

Knots & Crosses by Ian Rankin

(256 pages)



'And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

This was a decent good old fashioned murder mystery whodunnit type book. I was told to read this first as it is the beginning of the Rebus books, and am glad I did because I feel that I want to read more of the Rebus stories. BUT as a standalone, this is lacking something.... i didnt feel as involved in the crimes as I have with other writers, but i am assured that Rebus gets better with age, so lets just see.

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

(272 pages)



The "Dog Lady" of radio station WZZZ, free-spirited Daisy Adams figures anything has to beat pushing tasty canine recipes over the airwaves. So when a slot for a roving traffic reporter opens, Daisy jumps at it-- despite the fact that she's already juggling about fifteen other jobs. The new one comes with a raise and more responsibility. It also comes with a hands-on boss, hunky operations manager Steve Crow. When Daisy turns into a media darling after inadvertently foiling a major criminal's getaway, Steve decides it's his duty to protect her, bringing him even farther into the tangled web of her maddeningly overextended life. But Daisy's got far too much going on to get involved in extracurricular activities-- like falling in love.

This was my first Evanovich, and I can understand why so many people love her so much. All the characters jumped right off the page. I meanthere is a gorgeous rich guy with a heart of gold, a sweet overworked young woman who puts everyone else first, a teenage boy who will eat anything, a psycho granny with a gun and of course the adorable Bob dog. The story was simple and easy to follow, with love, romance and intrigue and a few bad guys thrown in. The plot developed really nicely, although the ending of the 'baddie' storyline was a bit abrupt (but very entertaining!).I could relate to Daisy really well as her life was as hectic as mine! Janet Evanovich has created some adorable characters that kept me wanting more, and for a compact little book, this was a corker! I shall certainly be on the lookout for more of her books!

Secrets by Linore Rose Burkard

(20 A4 pages)



Christine's walk with her golden retriever starts out like any other walk on her private, wooded property. When she hears her dog whimper and runs to find him, she is stopped in her tracks by something she never expected. Soon she is wondering if her own life is in danger! And, even if she survives, will things ever be the same?

I was gripped right away. I absolutely had to know who the man was and how he knew so much. I certainly wasn’t expecting what came next. As the pages flew by I wanted more. The development of the story was wonderful, and the conclusion was very warming and satisfying. I am glad that I read this and it just proves that God works in mysterious ways.

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

(338 pages)



In Max Barry's twisted, hilarious and terrifying vision of the near future, the world is run by giant corporations and employees take the last names of the companies they work for. It's a globalised, ultra-capitalist free market paradise! Hack Nike is a lowly merchandising officer who's not very good at negotiating his salary. So when John Nike and John Nike, executives from the promised land of Marketing, offer him a contract, he signs without reading it. Unfortunately, Hack's new contract involves shooting teenagers to build up street cred for Nike's new line of USD2,500 trainers. Hack goes to the police - but they assume that he's asking for a subcontracting deal and lease the assassination to the more experienced NRA. Enter Jennifer Government, a tough-talking agent with a barcode tattoo under her eye and a personal problem with John Nike (the boss of the other John Nike). And a gun. Hack is about to find out what it really means to mess with market forces.

This was a really good read, great fun, a massive cast of fantastically different characters and an all powerful corporate consumerist lifestyle that is ridiculously beliveable... oh did i mention the good guy vs bad guys and conspiracies too??? really great fun.

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

(286 pages)



From Publishers Weekly
Each chapter of screenwriter Esquivel's utterly charming interpretation of life in turn-of-the-century Mexico begins with a recipe--not surprisingly, since so much of the action of this exquisite first novel (a bestseller in Mexico) centers around the kitchen, the heart and soul of a traditional Mexican family. The youngest daughter of a well-born rancher, Tita has always known her destiny: to remain single and care for her aging mother. When she falls in love, her mother quickly scotches the liaison and tyrannically dictates that Tita's sister Rosaura must marry the luckless suitor, Pedro, in her place. But Tita has one weapon left--her cooking. Esquivel mischievously appropriates the techniques of magical realism to make Tita's contact with food sensual, instinctual and often explosive. Forced to make the cake for her sister's wedding, Tita pours her emotions into the task; each guest who samples a piece bursts into tears. Esquivel does a splendid job of describing the frustration, love and hope expressed through the most domestic and feminine of arts, family cooking, suggesting by implication the limited options available to Mexican women of this period. Tita's unrequited love for Pedro survives the Mexican Revolution the births of Rosaura and Pedro's children, even a proposal of marriage from an eligible doctor. In a poignant conclusion, Tita manages to break the bonds of tradition, if not for herself, then for future generations.

A nice fun enjoyable book, very original and addictive with som fab recipes to boot!! Recommended!!

Life Skills by Katie Fforde

(352 pages)



A combination of overwork and jet-leg propel Julia Fairfax into becoming engaged to a golf-playing wine buff called Oscar. When she realises that she has fonder feelings for his adorable Labrador than for Oscar himself, she is forced to confront the fact that there is something drastically wrong. So, she ditches her fiance, jacks in her job and decides to revolutionise her life…
Her new career as a cook on a pair of hotel boats is certainly a departure, and teaches her more about life than how to get a couple of narrow boats through a lock. But even afloat Julia's past catches up with her. Not only must she contend with the persistent Oscar (not to mention his frightful mother and her own mother's determined matchmaking), but also the arrival of her childhood enemy, the enigmatic Fergus Grindley.

This was a really nice read. Fluffy and light, amusing and very entertaining. I think i would like to read more of this authors books :)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Visitors by Laura Ann Gilman & Josepha Sherman

(161 pages)



When a supernatural stalker starts watching Buffy's every move, she finds herself face to face with a being unlike any she's ever encountered. But can she figure out this evil entity's weakness before she is forced to participate in its dance of death?

a fairly fun a quick read with all the Buffy-ness you would expect, although the ending is more of a fizzle than a boom.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

(224 pages)



The story of a year in the life of the March family. While their father is away in the Civil War, the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, and their mother, work hard to maintain a happy and peaceful home.

So easy to see why this is a classic... I wish I had gotten round to it when I was younger! Really enjoyable.

PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

(503 pages)



Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumour. Ahern, the twentysomething daughter of Ireland's Prime Minister, has discovered a clever and original twist to the Moving On After Death concept made famous by novelists and screenwriters alike--Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ahead and carry on with her life. As the novel takes readers through the seasons (and through Gerry's monthly directives), we watch as Holly finds a new job, takes a holiday to Spain with her girlfriends, and sorts through her beloved husband's belongings. Accompanying Holly throughout the healing process is a cast of friends and family members who add as much to the novel's success as Holly's own tale of survival. In fact, it is these supporting characters' mini-dramas that make PS, I Love You more than just another superficial tearjerker with the obligatory episode at a karaoke bar. Ahern shows real talent for capturing the essence of an interaction between friends and foes alike; even if Holly's circle of friends does resemble the gang from Bridget Jones a bit too neatly to ignore (her best friend is even called Sharon).

I really thoroughly enjoyed this. I felt that the style of writing made the awkward storyline of a young widow much easier to become involved with. The cast of characters was wonderful and fun (I wish I had friends like that!). Holly was adorable and going through her first year without her jusband with her was a really emotional and at times hysterical ride. I was convinced about halfway through that I knew how it was going to end, but I am pleased to say that I WAS WRONG!!!!! I just couldnt put this book down... I had to know what Gerry's next challenge was going to be... although I must admit that the Karaoke was a classic ;o)

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

(365 pages)



Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. "House of Sand and Fog" opens with a highway crew comprising several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the US four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing". A father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory with disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

This was a truly fascinating and gripping story that was well told from the viewpoints of the two main characters. As I was reading it I felt as though I was on both sides and couldn't decide how I wanted it to end. However the ending that transpired was totally unexpected and emotional. It just goes to show how thiongs can spiral out of control.