Finders Keepers by Stephen King

This is the second book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy. I could not put Mr Mercedes down, not for love or money, so naturally, I picked this one up. And I was NOT disappointed.

The story starts in 1978. Author John Rothstein is murdered after giving the combination to his safe, not just holding wads of cash, but his precious writings since retiring from the public (and publishing). What do these Moleskine books hold? His murderer is desperate to know. But for reasons I won't mention here, it happens that someone else finds the books. Tying in nicely with the destruction caused by Mr Mercedes, this book closely follow the lives of all affected by Rothstein's manuscripts - all the way to the dizzying conclusion.

Now this is what I call an exciting book! King is a master at not only putting together a plot, but at making characters that are real. Morris was a thrilling antagonist, and Peter, whose similarities to Morris were inescapable, made an awesome protagonist. I loved seeing how these two, who in some ways were so similar, were SO different.

The structure of this was a bit unusual. Folks expecting to have Bill Hodges roaming the pages are in for a bit of a disappointment. He only appears for the first time, one third of the way in. But what a pleasure it was to see that old codger again. And the rest of his crew too, I might add.

As a reader, I loved the literary references. I also could completely understand the pull of exclusive material from a loved author. In that way I could relate to both men in the story. I mean, what wouldn't one of us do to get our hands on unseen Harry Potter material?

“For readers, one of life’s most electrifying discoveries is that they are readers – not just capable of doing it, but in love with it. Hopelessly. Head over heels.”

― Stephen King

I can't wait for the next book, although, it is going to be very different from the first two. I gave this 4 stars, although, as I have only just put this down, I am SO tempted to give it 5.

Who Killed Jimmy Valentine? by Michael Williams

I picked this one up, knowing that many schools study this book around grades 8 or 9. I was curious.

Taxi violence is slowly destroying lives in Cape Town. One morning, the body of a young musical prodigy is found, shot in the chest, on top of a Valentine taxi. It is up to new Detective Jake Mulligan, to get to the bottom of it. Only, can he? He seems to already have botched his first case.

While there are some great things about reading books written at home: the familiar culture, the familiar settings, the language, that is pretty much where my interest waned. There was nothing special about this story. It was as run-of-the-mill as it gets.

Granted, I liked that, unlike the way it seems in cop dramas and regular crime books, these cops seemed busy. Well, considering the crime rate here, that seemed a lot more feasible. I liked the mixed races on the police force, and I liked how some of the different languages in this country were laced throughout the dialogue - just as it is done here at home.

But, to be honest, it was just an OK book. The writing was nothing special; the plot, while enjoying a few twists and turns was nothing out of the ordinary. I don't think I will be selecting this one to teach.

I gave this 2 stars. There wasn't anything wrong about it. It was just OK.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

Another book that has been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. I can't say I have consciously made a decision to read books connected to the Man Booker, but somehow, it is happening. This one I found in the second hand book shop I frequent and was in good nick. How could I resist?


Eli and Charlie Sisters are hired guns, working for a dubious character known as the Commodore. The Commodore has put a hit on a man called Hermann Kermit Warm, a prospector, who wronged him in some vague way. Eli and Charlie have to head to California during the gold rush, to complete the job.

This was not what I was expecting. For starters, while the Sisters are tough, Eli, the narrator of the tale, is far more gentle. By the time we meet him, his conscience is pricking. But he is forced to follow his brother, Charlie, on another job, out of loyalty to his brother. But for all his guilty conscience, he could still be completely heartless himself. I am thinking of the part with the young, abandoned boy, who they too, abandoned. But then, he could also be compassionate - even to the point of keeping his dumpy, half-blind horse, Tub, when he had a far better choice walk into his hands for free.

The narrative style was not frilly and littered with scenery. It gives a better idea of the people encountered - albeit a one-sided point of view and only for a limited time. Instead of seeing landscapes littered with, well, whatever one finds in landscapes, we see landscapes littered with people.

While I think Isabel Allende did a better job depicting the gold rush and the affect it had on people in Daughter of Fortune, this was still an enjoyable read, although I can't say it would be for everyone.

If I had to describe this book in only a handful of words, I would go with: an existential crisis in the Wild West. I gave it 4 stars.

The Bees by Laline Paull

Surprisingly enough, this is a story about bees! I can honestly say that I have never read a book like this. This is not Animal Farm.

Flora 717 is born into the hive as a lowly sanitation worker. But Flora 717 is not like the other floras. She is bigger, and her colour is off, and she can produce royal jelly. Through this book, we follow Flora 717 as she navigates the hive, partakes in  different tasks and shows us the world in a hive.

I was not very engrossed during the first half. I found it a bit rushed, and felt Flora's constant job changing was unrealistic (although necessary to the plot), and it suspended my belief in the story. The second half showed an improvement. The pace slowed a bit and details were given that helped flesh the hive out. Also, more things were happening with the build up to the climax (although some parts were just so repetitive - great if you're a bee; not so great if your IQ is a bit higher and you long for variation).

I have to appreciate how a close look at something non-human can allow us to make judgements on our own society. The prayer for The Mother (which is a clear allusion to The Lord's Prayer) allows an opportunity to question religion. Were the Sages really doing the queens work, or were they there for their own benefit, or perhaps the benefit of the hive? The hierarchy of the bees in the hive is also very similar to those found in ours. It is because of this that I think there is definite value to this book. It allows for multiple opportunities to examine our own world. Perhaps one aspect that could do with some thought is that everything the bees did was for the good of the hive. An area in which their society is superior to ours.

This books has been labelled a dystopian. I disagree. From what I know of bees (which isn't an extraordinary amount) this book gives a rather realistic, albeit anthropomorphised, account of the workings of a hive. There are positives and negatives - although, the negatives could be purely affixed from a human interpretation and not necessarily a bees. Comparisons to The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale are completely unfounded and are going to lead to disappointment.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Crivens but this was brilliant! You know you are in for a good time when you've laugh out loud three times, and you're only half way through page 2.

In this book, another in the acclaimed Discworld series, something strange is happening on the chalk downs. Fairy tale monsters are appearing, and what are those strange little men? It is up to Tiffany Aching, to work it out.

 In the usual Pratchett style, this book is hilarious - cleverly hilarious. How can anyone not appreciate the clever puns, the twists on fantasy tropes and the commentary on real life. As with all Pratchett books too, there is wisdom between these pages.

“If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

- Terry Pratchett

Tiffany could quickly become one of my favourite characters. She is smart and capable. I liked that she was not made out to be a bleeding heart. Nope, she wasn't a fan of her brother. But he was hers, and that was enough. Not that that stopped her from using him as bait in the beginning. This book is a must for girls. It questions the fairy tale tropes and definitely promotes a feminist view. It also promotes the importance of intelligence.

“The stories never said why she was wicked. It was enough to be an old woman, enough to be all alone, enough to look strange because you have no teeth. It was enough to be called a witch. If it came to that, the book never gave you the evidence of anything. It talked about "a handsome prince"... was he really, or was it just because he was a prince that people called handsome? As for "a girl who was as beautiful as the day was long"... well, which day? In midwinter it hardly ever got light! The stories don't want you to think, they just wanted you to believe what you were told...”

- Terry Pratchett

Another thing I have to mention is that Pratchett really nails putting an accent into dialogue. Unlike my experience with Wuthering Heights, this was clear and easy to understand, and really added to the story. Maybe this is because I have been exposed to a Scottish accent, whereas the Yorkshire accent was far beyond me; or maybe that it was added just the right amount. One way or another, it worked.

While this book is technically a children's book, there is nothing about this story that is childish. Not even the humour is for young readers. Adults will enjoy it, probably more, than kids, simply because I think they will get a lot more out of it.

I adored the ending. Just saying.

I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads.

NY-Times By the Book Tag

 I found this tag on Youtube and, although some of the questions are similar to other tags I have seen (and done) there was one in particular that got me thinking. You can find the original tag by Marie Berg here.

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

These are the books that I really want to get to soon, so I keep them within arms reach. If what I am reading is not keeping me turning pages, all I do is stretch out my arm and find something else. If you want to know what I am reading at the moment, it is The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt - a title that just does not roll off the tongue.

2. What was the last truly great book that you read?

Ouch! A toss up between The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James or Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I gave all 3 five stars. I think, just by looking at these, that I think the best written (and the one I admire the most) is A Brief History of Seven Killings. That one was mind blowing! Not only was it superbly constructed, but it kept me turning pages, just loving it.

Picture from here

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

Neil Gaiman. Can I have your brain?
Ok, I suppose you want something a bit more serious. All right. I would still choose Neil Gaiman. I love the man's voice. I also think he is incredibly intelligent. I don't know if there is anything specifically I would ask him, because I have followed every interview I can see with him in on Youtube and all the obvious questions have been covered. I would just like to bask in his wisdom and presence for a while, soaking in whatever he had to say. He is much wiser than me, so he can pick the topic.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

Probably the cookbooks. Hell freezes over before I venture into the unholy grounds of the kitchen. If you are talking about fiction, probably my almost complete collection of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. Come now. Every gal out there would like a Jack Reacher in their corner. (I find these pleasantly predictable. When I am in the mood for some no-IQ required, numbing action, these are perfect.)

5. How do you organize your personal library?

From A - Z according to author's surname. Original, I know!
Beyond that, I have fiction on my wall. My poetry, Shakespeare, textbooks, recipe books, and other non-fiction including memoir and autobiography are on my 6 foot book cases. Surprisingly, they are also shelved alphabetically (mostly).

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t got around to yet? Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

Up until last week (or the week before) it was Wuthering Heights. At the moment, I am not so sure. Time will tell if I eventually start to feel guilty over another. For now, I am happy. Wait. I should probably read more by South African authors. Yes, it becomes very tricky when someone from another continent asks for a recommendation on African books, and I sit there, realising that I have read pretty much the same amount as they have. OK. Thanks tag. I now have something to feel embarrassed about again.

7. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you were supposed to like but didn't? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

For a book that I was supposed to like but didn't, I will go with The Child Thief by Brom. Great idea, poorly executed. But you can read my wrap up to get that whole story again. Overrated books are trickier, because there are so many. Take Cassandra Clare for example. I had heard great things about her Infernal Devices series. Hell, I even bought them to read during the school readathon - big books, lots of pages, supposedly good books, should read quickly, right? Meh. I gave them away for nothing afterwards. And no, I cannot remember which book I DNFed last. It doesn't happen often as books cost a fortune here.

8. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

I am drawn to most works of fiction. If it sounds interesting, I will read it. I think I am in another transition phase in my reading, so at the moment, I am prepared to pick up pretty much anything while I discover my new niche. I still enjoy crime novels, and I enjoy a faster-paced plot.But I am finding poorly written books less satisfying, even if the plot is good. Having said that, I will still stay clear of Christian fiction and erotic novels. Oh, and I am not a big reader of romance either.

9. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

And this is the question that got me to do this tag! We are assuming he can read this with Grade 6 education. I would choose Animal Farm by George Orwell. Why? Hopefully the message of the consequences of corruption will sink in. Maybe he will realise what he is doing to the people of this country while he is sitting in his home that cost us R246 MILLION. Maybe he will see Napoleon in himself and change his ways - start looking out for the people instead of milking them for everything while he and his fellow pigs wallow in luxury. But, chances are that he will just make sure that it never becomes a matric setwork again, to try and prevent the youth from reading it and seeing him for what he is - a pig, in the Orwellian sense.

In addition, a good LGBTQ book might help improve his understanding on those issues to prevent him from publicly saying such things as: "When I was growing up, an ungqingili (a homosexual) would not have stood in front of me. I would knock him out." I have yet to come across one that I think would be powerful enough to educate him though. Any recommendations?

You know what, I think I would just like to get him to read. Maybe some wisdom would seep in somewhere. Anything would be an improvement.

10. What do you plan to read next?

Any one of the books on my 'nightstand' or one of those on my TBR shelf on Goodreads. I have a lot to choose from. EEK! I am feeling inclined to either read Ripper by Isabel Allende, or to use my holiday to read a fantasy series - something like The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, or The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. The holidays are the best time for fantasy reading for me, as I don't have to prep lessons (or be up early) so I can read for hours on end.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

I've done it! I've done it! I've DONE IT! For the past 20 years years I have ignored not just one, but TWO copies of this on my shelves! Had I known that this would be quite easy (and painless) to read, I might have picked it up at least a decade ago.

This is a story of slowly simmered revenge disguised as a 'love' story gone completely off the rails. Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights embittered with revenge: revenge against Hindley Earnshaw, the son of the man who took him in; revenge against the man his 'love', Catherine, married, Edgar Linton. His revenge is cast onto the following generation with a grotesque intent for their suffering. Wow, I tried to write that synopsis five times, and it is near impossible to find the words, especially since I want to write a blog post, not an essay. Can I honestly say that Heathcliff loved Catherine? If so, that was the unhealthiest use of the word 'love' I have ever used. It was obsessive, dangerous and depraved.

This book is filled with complex characters. There was definitely a moment, early in the story, where I felt that Heathcliff's character could be redeemed, or at least his actions justified. Until he decided to take things as far as he did. While Edgar Linton was not one of the obvious horrors, he too had some responsibility for the disaster that occurred. Even Nelly, the narrator, was at fault for keeping her own errors quiet and therefore causing more harm and for being manipulated by Heathcliff and by Cathy Junior. On the whole though, because of the complete casts' flaws, they come across as real people, responding irrationally to circumstances and over-reacting. While people might cringe reading this book because of the unlikable characters, I have a feeling that these character and their reactions are far more likely to occur in real life (not to this extent, I hope), than the logical, forgiving, gentle responses people are generally portrayed in books as having. In fact, that is one of the biggest reasons I have for recommending this.

This read like watching a mass pile up on the freeway, where one can't drag their eyes away from the horror that is unfolding slowly in front of one. It was a page turner though - which is always good. The writing was first class. It was not swamped in long-winded descriptions, but painted just the perfect amount of scenery for the setting to become real. I cannot believe that Emily Brontë wrote this while living a secluded life! That alone states pure genius! Her understanding of the bitter side of humanity is applaudable.

There is only one thing I did not enjoy, and that was trying to work out anything Joseph had to say in his thick Yorkshire accent. Crickey, that was unpleasant. I don't mind some of the accent coming through in some books, but for this Africa-raised gal who has never met anyone from Yorkshire, that was damned near indecipherable.

I'm glad I have this one behind me now. I will now have to find another 'book you are most embarrassed to not have read' for memes.

I gave this 4 stars initially, but have bumped it up to 5. Well worth the time. An intelligent read.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

What? A YA book after what I said in my last post? All right, I had this book mentally marked as a possible read for the high school library, in other words, a work-related read. It was on sale (at my favourite book shop - you will note the trend), so I snapped it up. Oh, and I suppose I need to confess something else. While I have never liked the original Oz story, I enjoyed Wicked! by Greg Maguire, and adored the stage play Wicked! even more. Which leads me to the sentiment: Dorothy must die! After everything she did to Elphie... A book title capturing my own thoughts! How could I resist?

Amy Gumm is a not your regular teen. She has grown up in a trailer park, with a mother high on medication and a father who went AWOL years ago. She is constantly being bullied and ousted at school. Until. Until a tornado takes her to Oz - to face a bully much worse than any high school could hold - Dorothy.

I enjoyed it. I liked that Amy landed in Oz and didn't take a third of the book to accept it. She just got on and dealt. In fact, 'getting on with it and dealing' was her main character trait. She was capable, strong and followed her own mind. I also enjoyed that she didn't blindly trust every person she met along the way. I also liked that she used her harder upbringing in a positive way. She realised that it gave her strength and made her capable.

Granted, I think a lot of my enjoyment came from the fact that I totally despise Dorothy. Having said that, one wonders what would cause someone to go to the level of selfish evilness that she has. Yes, yes, it is explained, but I don't buy it. It was the same problem I had with The Neverending Story (I am going on a completely old memory here) - destruction of the world which will inevitably lead to ... POOF? Logically, I am not sure I can buy this.

I am a bit reserved for the next book, although I already have it (specials are wonderful!). I hope this doesn't end up with a focus on a romance - again. So far it hasn't ventured there, but the ground work has been laid.

If there is one HUGE criticism, it is of the idiot who wrote the synopsis on the back (and on Goodreads). Why, on all that is good, would someone write the thing the reader learns in the penultimate chapter on the back of the book (or in the synopsis on Goodreads)? If you do happen to pick this up - don't read it. It is one HUGE spoiler.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads, although, I think it is probably more of a 3.5.

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty

The manager of my favourite book shop knows me VERY well. I dragged myself there, desperate for some mindless escapism, She dragged me away from the YA section (I was desperate, as I said, for nothing that required thinking - unfair statement for some YA books, but I have already read the good ones) and showed me this. The blurb had me:

'If Buffy grew up, got therapy and found a real job, it would look like this.'

- Scott Sigler

This is exactly what I was wanting. It was light, fun and, most importantly, grown-up!

Zoë Norris has left her old job as a travel writer. She was good at it, but, it is never recommended to 'get involved' with the boss. Now she is in New York, desperately wanting to find employment. Out of the blue, in the strangest of places, she finds the perfect job - mostly. The only problem, in fact, is that she is the main food group for almost all her colleagues. But that is not all. Obviously something else has to happen too.

I enjoyed the interactions between the characters. Hell, I enjoyed the characters. They interacted believably, which says a lot. I enjoyed Zoë's sense of humour, but more her gumption. That is where the comparison to Buffy became clear - albeit a very naive, inexperienced Buffy (which even Buffy was, 7 seasons and how many episodes ago). No lack of girl-power though. Zoë will be a force to be reckoned with in future books, I am sure.

I must admit, that although this was probably not intended to be read in anyway other than the literal, I liked that I could see the 'supernatural creatures' in my own life: the blood-sucking vampire boss
(please, let's just pause and enjoy that metaphor), the zombies on a go-slow, and although my current work environment lacks this, the bloke who oozes sexual energy and is begging for a sexual harassment charge. Yes, she works in an interesting place...

This is probably the first urban fantasy I have enjoyed. And by enjoyed, I mean enjoyed. This is a fun read, nothing more.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads, because I can (and because it was exactly what I was after, and hell, not everything has to be brainy to get 5 stars).

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin (Translator)

Work is still insane. I was hoping (perhaps unfairly) that this one would help put me to sleep at night. It didn't. Which I suppose says something good about the book.

This is a coming of age story of a Japanese young man, Toru Watanabe. It starts with Toru at university. Over the course of the book, we learn about a friend in his youth, and the effects that his friend's decision had on himself (Toru) and his friend's girlfriend, Naoko. We also meet some interesting characters as Toru grows.

I was really expecting this one to be a lot more complicated than it was. I had heard that 'there is a place to start with Murakami' and 'it is not for everyone'. Well, no book is 'for everyone'. But anyway, that had given me the impression that this was going to be a tough read. It wasn't. If you are put off from Murakami, that is not the reason you should choose. This is, however, a book where not a lot happens. Yes, I still found the pages turning quickly, and I did want to know what happened, but it wasn't a gripping story with earth-shattering ideas and unexplored concepts. I did think it was interesting seeing how mental health issues were treated in a different country (or at least, in a different country a long time ago). But as a whole, I will say that although I enjoyed the main character, I found him unbelievable. I think he was far to perfect. I doubt there is a human on this planet as understanding and as selfless as he was.

On the other hand, I can't say I was fond of the way women were portrayed in this. The majority of the women came across as some form of the manic pixie dream girl. Yes, they were a bit more fleshed out, had bit more of a backstory, but even then, something was off - and I just can't put my finger on it. (Maybe it is that they felt a bit like exaggerations?) Some of Midori's ideas left me thinking she was bloody nuts. Oh, and don't get me started on the dubious lesbian sex scene which defied all logic. How can someone not know they are being undressed? How can one just realise, poof, my clothes are gone?

I think what I am really trying to say is that I approached this book with really high expectations. After everything I had heard, I really thought this was going to blow my mind - or at least develop it. It was good, it was interesting, but it was disappointing after all the hype I had heard about it. I suppose expectations always have a lot to do with ratings. As a result, this only got 3 stars from me. It wasn't bad. It was interesting. I just wanted more from it.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

And my quest to find something light continues! Wow, but work is actually a huge determiner of what I am in the mood for; or perhaps it determines what I feel I can mentally deal with. Knowing that Inkheart was a children's book, I figured this one would be manageable with my current work load. Oh, and according to my reading stats for 2016, I am in desperate need to increase the number of female authors I have read, and some other country besides the obvious two. This one ticked both those boxes!

Meggie has grown up surrounded by books. She is in bed one night when a strange man arrives at their house. The news that he brings will change everything and lead Meggie into a terrifying adventure with her father and aunt. But where is her mother? Who is this man who terrifies her father and this strange man? There are a lot of questions that need some answers.

I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the writing. A part of me did feel that it was a bit long-winded in getting to the plot. The synopsis on the back of my copy only applied after chapter 16. Seriously! That is a whole lot of reading when you know what is to happen. In fact, I will confess that it ruined a lot of the suspense and had me yawning until I got beyond that.

The story line was interesting though. I think all readers would 'like' to be able to do what some people in this book can do - although, with luck we would know better. I liked the characters. Oddly enough, I liked the grumpy old aunt the best.

I am curious to know what the next two books are about. I would like to see what happens to these characters. I think I will save them or another time when I need a good break from literature or school.

I suppose if I am being honest, I am not exactly the demographic for this one. But it was enjoyable. I think if one were to choose a fairytale-ish book to read, I would recommend The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making by Catherynne M. Valente more. It has a lot more concepts appropriate for adults and the imagery and writing is a bit more superior. For what I wanted though, this was perfect.  I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads.

Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs

Sometimes one is just in the mood for a predictable read. (When work gets completely out of hand and one needs a good time out from anything heavy.) These books are great for that. You know what to expect before you even pick it up. Of course, this helps if crime novels are your guilty pleasure - which they are for me.

In this book, Tempe is approached by an online amateur sleuth, who not only claims to have identified remains that were found a year ago, but who has a very disturbing recording of the young woman in question being tortured. (That wasn't a spoiler, you find that all out by page 7-ish.) As we all know Tempe, she can't leave this alone, and has to investigate further.

Speaking in Bones was a light, enjoyable read. As I said above, crime novels are my guilty pleasure, and I must admit that I do enjoy these as a rule. I don't know if I was just in a weird mood, but I found this one rather funny. Although, I have to add that a lot of the puns were a bit - well - predictable and obviously placed.

What I do enjoy about these books, generally, is that one is guaranteed to learn something. Although I can't say that this was the book that cleared up my understanding of mitochondrial DNA (that was another of her books - can't remember which), but it did fill in some other areas in my general knowledge with regards to preservation of remains and identifiers (You know, just in case I decide to pack in teaching and work in a morgue - which might be a bit of a problem, considering I don't like touching things that are excessively manky - or slightly manky, if I am being honest.)

One thing that did irritate me though was the interaction between Tempe and Ryan. Seriously, if I could climb into a book and give a character a firm shake or a snot klap (South African terminology for a good slap), I would have gladly done so for this one. But, it has left it again, in a place with regards to the two, where I am now curious to pick up the next one. (Which I am sure was the plan.)

Oh, and I was not too sure about the ending. At one point in time - no two - I wanted to climb in the book and scream some sense into Tempe. I mean, come on, how many books does it take to learn that you should not do that! But I suppose that is where the suspense comes in. One day, I would like to read a book where she does not stupidly walk into danger - just once. It isn't asking for too much is it? (Oh, that isn't a spoiler either. She does it in every book.)

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads. It was entertaining, and I suppose if I was judging it just as a crime thriller, it would probably get 4 stars, but, I suppose I am becoming a lot more judgmental now that I am reading a lot more literary fiction.

Not much else to say about this. If you like crime thrillers, programmes like CSI or Bones,  then give it a go. If not, skip it.

January and February 2016 Wrap Up - Part 3/3

On to the last part of my massive wrap up! If you want to find the earlier parts, you can click here for Part 1 and Part 2. This part could also be called, Pan deals with emotional distress at the hands of authors, or Pan suffers through multiple canine murders.

I stumbled upon the synopsis of The Child Thief by Brom on Goodreads and was hooked. I needed to read this book! It offers a completely different look at Peter Pan, one where he is stealing children from our world to help fight his war in his world (which isn't Neverland, but, so what.) This is a difficult one to talk about. Because I actually did not enjoy it. I was so tempted to DNF it. To begin with, I suppose I should talk about the writing. The blurb on the cover said that this was poetically written. Hmmm... Clearly, people do not read poetry. I thought the writing was flat. It was an action following an action. The dark setting was created solely with regular adjectives and foul language. At no point did I feel engrossed in the story, which is how I usually feel when I read. I read this feeling like I was reading. I did not live the story. I think better language use, creating imagery, would have changed that. The plot, though, was interesting. I liked the spin on Peter Pan. I liked the combination of mythologies and the world that had been created. I liked that he went beyond all safe boundaries. It was as if the heroes in a cop show arrived ten minutes after the bomb went off, rather than with 10 seconds to go. What I did not enjoy were the attempts to create a dark setting by including irrelevant dark scenes. A dead and raped girl laying on the ground with her bleeding vagina on display comes to mind. Did the paragraph it was given create darkness. No. All it did was make me angry - not at the characters, but at the writer, because he clearly cared as much as I did about this unnamed girl - nothing. I got the impression that he was sitting there, wondering how he could make this scene even more gross than it already was and decided, "Hey presto! Let's put in a dead, raped girl." Now before you think I am prudish and whatnot, let me put out there that I gave 'A Brief History of Seven Killings' 5 stars. Now that was dark. It had every despicable thing one could imagine in it. But it was how it was handled that was different. This book's sole goal seemed to be to make sure it was never shelved in the children's section. It was as though it wanted to be daring and bad, putting unnecessary scenes in like people add tomato sauce to chips. The characters were good though. They were complex, multi-layered and flawed. The art work was brilliant. Overall, I think it was a great concept, poorly executed. I gave it a meagre 2 stars.

 I don't know why I started reading the next book. It was a book I was given, and I took it off my shelf while hunting for the next book to read, opened to the first page and that was that. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee is the second book I have read by Coetzee. I can't say that I loved Foe, and I can't say that I loved Disgrace either. (The cover should have been the only clue I needed.) But Coetzee is a South African author, and I feel I should read his works, if for no other reason than patriotism. This story follows a professor who is disgraced after having an affair with a student, and 'let go' from his position in a university. The story is about his journey just before and then after his fall from grace. I did enjoy the connection I felt when they spoke of my alma mater and Grahamstown. I will acknowledge that this was well-written. I could appreciate the themes and could see where Coetzee was coming from. But, even though it made sense in the story, there is no way that I could ever ENJOY a book with rape and the mass murder of so many hundreds of dogs. Sorry to all out there who could see why this was necessary to the plot and the character. I just squirmed inside while reading it. I gave it 2 stars. (It probably says a lot about me that I can read books about serial murderers, and not squirm an inch; but put a suffering animal in there, and I spend the rest of the book trying to convince myself that it is not real.)

After those two books I needed something light and fluffy - with no dead animals. I had heard that The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion was a funny book and it was just what I needed. It was humorous, light and fluffy. This book follows a man who has decided he wants a wife. He elects to use a questionnaire to eliminate unworthy candidates. While romance is not my preferred genre, this one kept my attention. For starters the protagonist has Asperger's, so his social skills were limited to say the least. But as the novel is told in the first person, his logic and explanations felt like mine. I think I enjoyed this more because it followed a male looking for love and not the woman. I generally find the female perspective very annoying as we are reduced to hormonal, emotional stereotypes who go through mood swings with the speed of a bullet. I would recommend this to people who are wanting to head into the romance genre (for reading challenges) but who are not fans of the genre. Other than that, I think lovers of the romance genre would enjoy this one too. I gave this 3 stars.

I finally buckled down to finish reading A Slip of the Keyboard by Terry Pratchett. This book was informative in so many ways. I found what Pratchett had to say about writing, his routine, books and all other aspects of his craft, fascinating. The section on his feelings about being allowed to end his own life as a result of his Alzheimer's was also very interesting. He had good points and his efforts in that field were commendable. I would recommend this one to fans of Terry Pratchett and folks who are interested in writing or books. I would suggest that one takes reading this slowly, otherwise some of the essays will sound repetitive. I gave it four stars, although it is very hard to rate a collection of essays.

And finally! The last book! The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera is a book that I had picked up about 20 years ago and then failed to read. I don't know why I picked it up initially, but I picked it up now because I am trying to read the books I have been sitting on my TBR pile for a long time. I can't say I was particularly motivated to read it. But having said that, although I cannot exactly, or honestly, claim that this was an enjoyable read, there were aspects of this book I really did appreciate. This story is set in Czechoslovakia during the Russian takeover and the introduction to communism. But that barely covers what it really is about. I loved the philosophy in it. I also loved the intrusion of the author's voice, where he explains where and how he thought up the characters. I thought the chapter that explained the different meanings of everyday words was absolutely bloody brilliant! Let me explain this part. Because of our different experiences in life, even something as simple as music can have different meanings to different people. Some might find it soothing; others might find it an intrusion. Of course, the book takes this idea so much further, but I don't really want to spoil anything. But having said that, the character that I really felt the most for was *drum roll* the dog. Bring out the tissues - again - folks! I gave this 4 stars although, it is more for appreciation and not really for having enjoyed it.(Although, as I said above, there were parts I loved.)

I have done it! Fifteen books lightly reviewed, my blog up to date, resolutions of not letting it get this out of hand again made.

Next up!? Possibly a book haul. Because we all know I am trying to get my TBR pile down a bit. Because another branch of my favourite bookshop was having a 50% off closing down sale and I just HAD to go and take advantage of it!