The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

This book was hugely popular in certain circles on BookTube. Usually I get a kick out of reading those, but either my expectations were far too high, or else my taste and some other folks' don't quite match up.

North is a circus girl, who lives on a circus boat, and who performs with a bear. She is required to marry a young man she doesn't even like. Callanish is a girl with secrets who is left repenting for something as a Gracekeeper, a water-world version of an undertaker. She was originally from the land. This book covers their lives.

I appreciated the world building. What with global warming (I come from Africa - we still believe in science here), one could see an earth covered mostly in water, land being extremely scarce, and as a result, religions changing as people either had to live on water, or cling onto their land and pray for harvests etc.. So no real stretch there. I actually enjoyed the idea.

But the pacing was so slow. Man, this book was a one way ticket to Slumberland. Not even the pretty writing could keep my eyes open. Not even the 'question' of what would happen or what had happened, could stop it. I was bored. There, I said it. I now feel tainted.

I also found the characters very distant. While I read their thought processes and read about their feelings, at no point did I feel anything for them. Which is a bit disappointing and probably explains the boredom. (There is that bad word again.)

2 stars. it was OK. Nothing to write home about.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Who hasn't heard of Donna Tartt? I think that is enough reason for picking up this book.

 The novel is circular, starting at the end, with Theo in a hotel room as an adult, trying to comes to terms with a murder. The book then heads straight to his childhood, showing us how he got there. He is thirteen when he looses his mother. His life is then knocked around as he journeys from one home to the next, meeting an array of interesting (and by 'interesting', I don't necessarily mean nice) people who have a long term affect on who he eventually becomes.

“But sometimes, unexpectedly, grief pounded over me in waves that left me gasping; and when the waves washed back, I found myself looking out over a brackish wreck which was illumined in a light so lucid, so heartsick and empty, that I could hardly remember that the world had ever been anything but dead.”

― Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch

I had really high expectation for The Goldfinch. I was expecting to be wowed, amazed, shocked... You know, all those nice feelings one has while reading. And I suppose I was. I will give Donna Tartt one thing: she can definitely create characters that walk off the page and into one's head. I lived and breathed this while I was reading it. But having said that, it wasn't the easiest book to pick up. (Being the massive tome it is, does account for some of that.)

I must confess that while I could see how all the little titbits of information along the way really added to the life of the characters, there were places where I felt that huge chunks could really have been removed. Heading off to buy flowers etc. was one of those places. It was unnecessary and only added to the page count, and not the story or characters. There were quite a few of those.

But the masterful way Tartt got me to like Theo, even when I would have eventually shunned him in real life, was quite something. In fact, let's forget Theo and look at Boris. Boris was the kid you don't want your kid to play with. Boris is the adult that makes you avoid dark streets and flashing money around. And yet... and yet I liked him. Tartt got me to see past the external view and to see someone real and human and hurt and trying to survive underneath that tough exterior.

While I think this really deserves the 4 star rating I gave it, I would only really recommend it to those who don't need a rapid pace in their books. Oh. And please only venture this if you have really strong wrists.

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

What an interesting read.

I picked this up without knowing anything about it (it was skinny, and The Goldfinch was killing me and my stats slowly). The first act had my expectations a bit low. We see a high class family celebrating privately - a hoity-toity scenario that does not quite go with my excessively casual manner. An inspector arrives to discuss a suicide. Naturally, everyone claims to have had nothing to do with the deceased's decision.

"We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.”

― J.B. Priestley, An Inspector Calls

I was not expecting to be as engrossed in the story as I was. This play shows one accountability; Accountability for one's indirect actions, as well as the direct. I really thought the way it was done was effective. What really slammed the message home was the end - not the last page - that is another discussion all on its own. I have seen people do this; find a flaw in something and lose the entire lesson. And that ending! It came like a sledgehammer.

It is a pity that I will no longer be able to choose my own literature to teach, because this would have actually worked quite nicely for the drama section. I gave this 4 stars, although, looking back, I wonder why I didn't give it 5.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (2016 review catch ups)

 This was an impulse buy. Had I given it much thought, I would have left the book in the shop. But I had heard of it on Booktube. The fact that I have no interest in birds, no wish to dig up my feelings of my own father's passing, nor any massive interest in reading a memoir of a woman I had never heard of, didn't quite realise themselves until I got the book home, looked at the cover again, and then realised that I now had to read the damned thing (it cost a fortune). It came as quite the surprise then when I discovered that I really enjoyed it!

One cannot say that this is nature book. Nor is it a literary review, nor is it a book about overcoming bereavement. It is a bit of everything with a side order of some interesting psychology.

“Here’s a word. Bereavement. Or, Bereaved. Bereft. It’s from the Old English bereafian, meaning ‘to deprive of, take away, seize, rob’. Robbed. Seized. It happens to everyone. But you feel it alone. Shocking loss isn’t to be shared, no matter how hard you try.”

― Helen Macdonald, H Is for Hawk

There were parts that really spoke to me. Especially when it came to her struggles with Mable (the hawk). How she internalised the problem and found fault with herself instead of looking at the more practical aspects of all that could be wrong. I know I do that too, and seeing her realise that made me more aware of the times I blame myself for things going wrong when they are completely out of my control.

I did find it difficult empathising with her for her grief over her dad. I too have lost my dad (4 years ago), and although I was also a daddy's girl, I didn't lose complete grip on myself and my identity - and definitely not my humanity. But then I don't have other issues and I had to be the support so I wasn't afforded the luxury of coming apart completely. I was sad for her though.

Mabel was brilliantly depicted. I felt she was alive and could so easily visualise her ducking and weaving and crouching and bating. Yes, I learnt more words reading this too. I don't know if I will ever need to talk about hawkish actions in the right terminology, but it is nice knowing that I could.

This book also spends a lot of time discussing T.H. White's book, The Goshawk. In the beginning, I found this commentary very interesting, especially as she was telling us about White, in preparation for the process he took with his own Goshawk, Gos. Unfortunately, I will have to say I ended up skim reading a lot of this towards the end. I felt disturbed more than anything else, as to how White treated his hawk.

Helen does write well, and her knowledge extends far beyond that for hawking. I liked the lyrical style she used. And just to say it again, she must have loved Mabel a lot, because she captured the hawk and her gestures so well on the page.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads.

King and Koontz (2016 review catch ups)

I am getting tired of writing reviews, so I am putting two in one here. Hope you don't mind.

The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King.

This is the second book in The Dark Tower series. I had heard so many good things about this series, from people whose opinions on books I tend to agree with. But, I am just not getting it this time. Personally, I think these are fairly poorly written. While I can excuse poorly written for a good story, I can't say I find myself compelled to read these. The first book, The Gunslinger, dragged. It had its interesting moments, but mostly it just didn't keep me entertained (and let's face it - you don't read King to be intellectually challenged, so entertained is pretty much the sole goal). This book dragged less, but still had moments where I was yawning away and thinking of something else. I find that a lot of the diction is crude. I have no objection to that if it will develop a character etc., but here it felt like King put it there just because his audience is assumed to like below the belt references.

The concept has potential, and I think that is also what is adding to my disappointment. While I am curious to see what happens to these characters, I just don't know if I can drag myself to pick up another one. Which is sad as I have a few more on my bookshelves, and they look so pretty. I gave this 2 stars.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz.

Odd Thomas is the first book in the (surprise!) Odd Thomas series. And Kerry scores again! (Kerry is my favourite bookseller at Bargain Books.) After a hectic year, I wanted something entertaining, not gruelling. She recommended this to me. Odd Thomas nailed that need perfectly. I was completely entertained.

Odd Thomas can see dead people. They tell him things so that he can help them rest in peace. But Odd Thomas can also see other things, like the furies that are following a man who has a filling cabinet in his house filled with information about serial killers. Disaster is set to strike the town - tomorrow!

I really enjoyed this. It was a combination of humour, suspense, intrigue and more humour. Odd Thomas is one of those books that one can read at record speed because the pages just turn themselves. Oh, and Elvis! He was a fantastic addition to the cast of characters.

I must admit that I really thought the plot was going to go in a completely different direction (but end at a similar point), so the surprise was pleasant too. I will definitely pick up another one.

In the unplanned (and unfair) King vs Koontz competition, Koontz wins!

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton (2016 review catch ups)

I read this book with very low expectations. I enjoyed Sister by Lupton, which was why I bought this book and Quality of Silence. Both Sister and Quality of Silence don't have conclusive endings, and I was convinced that Lupton would do the same thing again. As a result, I had been putting off reading this. Also, from what I had seen on Goodreads, it seemed most people did not enjoy this at all. Yip, my expectations were really low.

So what is Afterwards about? Grace runs into the burning school to save her daughter Jenny. But that is only the beginning. Things are going to get more dangerous, and how can Grace stop it when she is in a coma in the hospital?

While my synopsis is better than the one on the back of the book, it does not quite do the story justice. Afterwards is written similarly to The Lovely Bones or Black Dog Summer, where the narrator is not quite there - at least not physically. I thought it worked really well in this story. When Grace and Jenny were wandering around the hospital, following loved ones, in their ghostly forms (not a spoiler - that happens around chapter 2), I appreciated how Lupton captures a healthy and realistic relationship between mother and daughter. No, it is not perfect. But what mother daughter relationship is? In fact, while this book does keep one on their toes, it is more a family drama than a psychological/crime thriller. I think this is the point to keep in mind when the ending, again inconclusive, arrives.

“It's not the fledgling birds that are thrown out of the nest by their parents and made to fly; it's the parents who are made to get the hell out of cozy family nest by their teenage offspring. It's we who are made to be independent of them, crash-landing if we don't manage it.”

― Rosamund Lupton, Afterwards

Continuing on with the characters, I also appreciated how Lupton depicted the husband and young son. So often in books, these types of characters are honey-ified to the point that I just get irritated. It is trying to get my sympathy for the poor perfect husband who has got to go through an ordeal; or to make me feel devastated for this poor sweet child.... Meh. No one is perfect, and that type of character just screams 'false' to me. Lupton does NOT do this. YAY! Her characters came across as realistic, with their bumps and stubble. I think their lack of perfection made me like them more. It also made me want them to get a positive conclusion.

Rosamund Lupton does what I which crime writers would do (besides write very well); she creates webs of intrigue. Characters say one thing and yet their actions do not quite match, different stories are told and no one is being completely honest. The story is a bit of a roller coaster ride; there are places even where the plot flips completely over and the reader is no longer sure which way the story is going because it is no longer heading where one thought it was. And then there are the twists and turns. It was a ride, especially as I am a reader who likes to solve the crime before the cops do.

I gave this 4 stars. I really enjoyed it. Lupton is a 5 star author, if only she would give me a damned ending - you know, a proper, solid, no more questions, ending. (Ok, so this one did feel more conclusive in some ways, but there are SO many things I want to know still.)

Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie (2016 review catch ups)

The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing. A man wakes up after being drugged in an airport, to find his passport stolen. He meets a woman who begs him to save her life. On returning home, he encounters two attempts on his life. Just that alone had me eager to pick this up. Oh... how disappointment can creep up on one.

Passenger to Frankfurt was not my favourite book of the year by a long shot. I think one problem was that it did not stand up to the test of time. There were parts where I was rolling my eyes, and I think that the majority of the problems were that modern technology and medical and scientific developments (and the fact that my brother is a clinical psychologist and that I work with counselling psychologists) just made huge chunks of this unbelievable.

Then there was the point where the plot was lost. The first third or so of the book was interesting. We followed the man from the airport as he hunted for this woman, only for the story to head off on a tangent where the two of them hardly feature. And that tangent is the rest of the book.

I can't think of anyone who I dislike enough to make read this, just as I can't think of a person who would want to read this. Folks who want to say they have read all of Christie?

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (2016 review catch ups)

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is the second book in The Queen of the Tearling series.

I am not going to say much about this one, as it is the second in a series. As a whole though, I found it a bit disappointing. I liked that Kelsea had a brain in the first book, but in this one, common sense seemed to abandon her, along with tact. Maybe I have got this wrong though. I see many reviewers on Goodreads think Kelsea was awesome in this book.

Again, this book suffered from 2nd book syndrome. Not much happened until the end. For an invasion, as the title suggests, it was more of a slow subtle event than a full scale war.

The alternate story was the most interesting part of this. Initially I found it distracting from the story I wanted to read, but by the end, I was quite impressed with the outcome. I am curious to see how this plays out in the final book.

I will read the last book of the series when it becomes available at a reduced price. For now, I am not jumping hoops to get my hands on it. The Invasion of the Tearling only earned 2 stars from me.

Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry (2016 review catch ups)

I must confess that I picked this book up more than once in the bookshop over a couple of months. I was curious, but... I was not really optimistic. I was expecting brutality, gut-wrenching sadness and I don't know what else. And superficially, the butt-ugly cover didn't help much either.

Set in modern South Africa, Black Dog Summer follows a mother who was brutally murdered in a farm massacre. If that doesn't make sense, think of The Lovely Bones by Ann Sebold. From her place in the ether, she watches over her daughter, her sister and her niece, as they come to terms with guilt, loss and the expectation to continue living.

Black Dog Summer does a very good job of showing South Africa as it is today. The integration (yay! things are improving!), and the horrific acts of violence and the effects it has (but some shit never changes). For that alone it was really interesting. One of my concerns when picking this up, was that the violence would be explicit. It wasn't. Well, at least not in the way that I feared it might.

"'Fear is an instinct that is there to protect you,' Lesedi says. 'But, like all of us, you need to ask yourself if you're fearing the correct thing, or ignoring the truth because you think you already know how the world works. It's so easy to decide that a familiar thing is harmless and a strange new thing is bad, but...'"

- Miranda Sherry, Black Dog Summer

There was one passage where I absolutely adored the language, when Gigi went to school on the her first day, and compared all the girls to impalas. I really thought it was a beautiful metaphor, and showed not only the way the girls flicked their hair and carried themselves, but also showed a deep love of animals. In some way, I felt it really captured South Africa.Wait, let me find it for you:

"The girls look like a herd of impalas, ... , all brown coats and slender ankles with long hair to flick instead of tails. They know that I am not one of the herd and look at me with little sideways movements of their eyes like my coat is not quite the right brown, or my ponytail is tied up wrong. Maybe they think I am a jackal in disguise or something. Up close, they stink of ten different kinds of deodorant and shampoo and sweat all mixed into a horrible stew."

- Miranda Sherry, Black Dog Summer

I liked how she did the characters too. The adults and the two girls really came across as well-fleshed out characters. I felt for them, was concerned for them, or disliked them (as was intended). I could really talk a lot about these characters, but I will leave that for you to discover all on your own, without my interference. There was a lot of diversity too, and through that, aspects of the traditional cultures were also covered (along with the question of how to integrate that into a modern Africa).

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads, and I will say that more than a month later, I still have fond memories of reading this. I would recommend this for folks interested in South Africa, readers who like contemporary novels, or those who are looking for authors who are not from the US or UK for their reading stats.

Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (2016 review catch ups)

Who was not finding American politics interesting in 2016? By the time November arrived, I felt that I needed to learn even more. I stumbled across this at Jimmy's Secondhand Bookshop, and decided to give it a read. Maybe I would find some information right out of the horse's mouth.

Obama wrote Dreams from My Father long before he became president of the United States. The book is split into three sections: It follows his childhood (Origins), the beginning of his political interest (Chicago) and ends with him spending time with his father's family in Kenya (Kenya).

“My identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didn't, couldn't end there. At least that's what I would choose to believe.”

― Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father

I found this an interesting read, even though it didn't really give me the information I was wanting (Not that that is the book's fault. It was written long before Obama ran for president.). I liked the unusual childhood Obama had. He did not attend renowned schools, but instead spent a few years with his mother in Indonesia - an experience that was nothing like the regular upbringing most westerners have. (At this point in the story, I was strongly reminded of Peekay's experiences in The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.)

His view on Kenya and his family there and the stories they shared were really interesting. Coming from Africa myself, those stories fascinated me, because it was either something I could relate to, or showing a new perspective on something I had never considered before.

“This pleased Onyango, for to him knowledge was the source of all the white man's power, and he wanted to make sure that his son was as educated as any white man.”

― Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father

I also found his experiences in America interesting too. As I don't come from the US, my general understanding of the culture is very Hollywood-ish (or what is in the news - but headlines barely give one a decent feeling). Reading his experiences and views added a different feeling, and I think I have learnt something.

“All too rarely do I hear people asking just what it is that we've done to make so many children's hearts so hard, or what collectively we might do to right their moral compass - what values we must live by.”

― Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father

I could hear Obama's voice narrating this in my head. I think that is a good compliment. It made me feel that this was a more honest account, not a pretentious attempt to impress. There was character in here too. The style matched fiction, with imagery, humour and detail. I must admit that I was nervous picking this up. I had fears that it would read something like a parliamentary speech. It didn't.

Besides the obvious target audience, I would recommend this to people who would like more exposure to racial issues.

"An Unkindness Of Ravens" and "The Vault" by Ruth Rendell (2016 review catch ups)

Ok. I am keeping these reviews really short now. If I keep putting them off (until I discover which safe place I put my reading notes when I rearranged and spring cleaned) or until I have something substantial to say (in that blasted missing note book), I am never going to move passed 2016 - EVER! And considering what 2016 brought, I would like a one way ticket out of there.

An Unkindness Of Ravens by Ruth Rendell is the 13th book in the Inspector Wexford series. Ahh... now can I remember what happened? A guy from Wexford's neighbourhood goes missing... This is a crime novel. I don't need to spell it out for you.

I see on Goodreads that I said I had enjoyed it. Which is strange. Because sitting here right now, my memory of this is 'boring'. Is it my memory that is faulty, or was I just feeling particularly generous on Goodreads? I know it had an interesting twist to the plot - but unfortunately not even that twist is all that new anymore. As I said on Goodreads,  I think the constant run of crime shows on tv has done a lot towards taking the thrill out of books like these. Because of all the exposure we constantly get, plots that could have been quite thrilling and leave one guessing to the end, now seem very obvious. I guessed who was guilty before they had found the body. Which might account for my memory of this being what it is.

The Vault is the 24th book in the Inspector Wexford series. In this installment, Wexford has now retired, but we all know that is not going to stop him from getting involved in solving the latest murder - or triple murder...

I was a lot more honest on Goodreads with this one. There is nothing wrong with how Rendell writes. In fact, for a crime novelist, she is really very good. There is quality to her prose; not just words to tell a story. But... I just can't.

Wexford is getting on my nerves. I wonder if that has to do with the fact that being much younger than Wexford, a man who is struggling to come to terms with things like the internet, I find his plod-along methods a bit silly. I must also admit that I find the references to younger generations a bit insulting. I also found the statement that the bitchy woman in the book learnt how to be rude to her Russian maid (who would have been very white) while she was in South Africa, naive and insulting too. Really! I thought South Africa's issue was race. I don't think that woman would have needed any external assistance in solidifying her beliefs in class divisions. I am really tired of all the movies, books etc. that portray all South African's as the worst set of people going. Like all countries, their are good people and bad, racists and non-racists. I am tired of these stereotypes and generalisations.

This will be the end of my reading Rendell. There are so many other books I would prefer to read, and life is short. Not bad. Just not my cup of tea.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (2016 review catch ups)

I loved reading Rebecca, so when I found Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier at that whoppingly awesome book sale, I could not resist.

After Mary's mother passes away, Mary travels to Jamaica Inn to stay with her Aunt Patience and her husband. Along the way, she hears very bad things about the inn. What has this girl got herself in to? What has happened to her aunt?

Daphne du Maurier is skilled at creating atmosphere. I don't think I felt comfortable for the protagonist at any point in this story. From the weather, to subtle clues, I knew that things were going to go south - it was just a matter of how. I should also mention that the array of characters just added to the tension. All of them seemed flawed and most of them seemed dangerous. After Mary left the coach, I knew she had left safety.

“And, though there should be a world of difference between the smile of a man and the bared fangs of a wolf, with Joss Merlyn they were one and the same.”

― Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn

The sexist comments took a bit of getting used to. Thank Merlin people no longer just assume women are useless, overly-sensitive, and half-stupid. But it is probably a good thing to see how far we have come from there. Just look at this quote:

“She put the steaming mutton down in front and he smacked his lips 'they taught you something where you came from, anyway,' he said. 'I always say there's two things women ought to do by instinct, and cookin's one of 'em.”

― Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn

And while there was a lot of such commentary, I have to say that Mary was not the typical 'damsel in distress'. She wanted to work - hard labour, she was brave, and, although I am not yet sure what I make of this, she fought against conforming to the stereotypes. Put that way, it sounds a good thing. However, she would disparage at being a female, which ... I don't know. I probably would have too had I been around back then. I just don't like that thought process in the modern world.

Overall, a good read. If you like a slow burning thriller, then give this one a go. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. I will definitely be looking for more books by du Maurier. (In fact, I am wondering if she is popular in other parts of the world. I have never heard anyone (besides my mom) talk about her here at all.)

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige is the second book in the Dorothy Must Die series. In other words, giving a synopsis is not really possible. All I will say is that it picks up exactly where the first book, Dorothy Must Die, ended.

I found this horribly disappointing. I read YA so that I can find books that will inspire the kids I teach to read. If I can barely keep my eyes open while reading something, it sure as hell won't pass for my dyslexic, Ritalin-dependant teens. In other words, very little happened. There was a lot of walking.

Once again, a book has been divided into three pieces so that readers will be forced to buy three books instead of just one. How do I know this? 

1. This isn't the size of Lord of the Rings where the size could make it a reasonable idea.
2. There is no individual story in either book - rather it is one continuation. 

I really hate feeling like I have been taken for a sucker by a publishing company. Considering the price of books in this country, I feel doubly pissed off. ZAR300! Three times (three books in the series)! That is almost ZAR1000! Which is about 10% of my salary. Is it worth it? Not a friggin chance in hell. Of course, this is not the first time I have been caught out on this. Which raises many questions. How far should a teacher go to encourage reading? It is the most important skill any person can acquire. Hunting for books for individuals should be a priority. But at that price? I just can't do it. Not with the way everything is just getting more and more expensive. But that is a rant for another place. Maybe publishers should start considering this too. It might also help eliminate the second book syndrome where ... duhduh daaaa ... nothing happens. Maybe it would save them money too. After all, I cannot be the first person who has been put off by a grotty second book.

I will not be continuing this series. And if I do, it will be because I borrowed it from someone. Two stars - and that was me being nice. (I have no idea why I was being nice.)

Bout of Books 18

Nothing starts off a new year like a readathon!

I almost missed the announcement of Bout of Books 18, what with Blogger's new layout where I now have to hunt to find the blogs I subscribe to. Luckily Facebook saved the day. I found out in time!

I have yet to figure out what I am going to read (10 minutes having passed since discovering the start of BoB), but I am sure I will figure it out soon enough. It isn't as though my TBR pile is lacking after all. I also like the idea of getting ahead of my 2017 reading goal right from the word go.

To all other participants, I wish you hours of quiet time, exciting books and coffee.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Something dreadful happened to Tess when she was a teenager. By dreadful, I mean really, really dreadful. Perhaps the worst thing besides being raped or murdered (or raped and murdered). Decades later she is forced to face the reality that the person who was arrested for the crime might not have been guilty. Of course, she has always wondered this. Someone, after all, has been planting blackeyed susans under her bedroom windows.

I really enjoyed this, but I can completely understand why some people would not. I think it would be less the read than the disappointment thereafter. But, I loved that (Yip, I am being vague. Any more detail and I would completely ruin it for you.). I loved how this book got into my head, made my dreams extra weird (and a bit scary), and had me just as tense and as terrified as Tess was - especially for her daughter who is now a teenager. I also really enjoyed that this was not your average predictable thriller. No. There were surprises along the way, and definitely a few "You've got to be kidding me!" moments.

“Closure doesn’t exist,” she responds smoothly. “Just … awareness. That you can’t ever go back. That you know a truth about life’s randomness that most other people don’t.”

― Julia Heaberlin, Black-Eyed Susans

Another thing I really appreciated was the research that went into this book. Not only was the psychology behind this realistic (for extreme cases - I had stumbled upon this information while researching a book), but the forensic science was up to date and correlated with other things I had read (particularly from Kathy Reichs - and we all know what line of work she is in). Basically, I came out of this feeling that I had learnt something. This book also covered important social themes - themes that are particularly relevant in a day where prejudice and bias is seeming acceptable again. (And here I thought the world was progressing. How disappointing.)

I should probably also mention the format of the book. Instead of having an info dump of the events in the past, I had to piece everything together. One chapter was in the past, one in the present, past, present, and so on. But the past chapters pick up after the 'dreadful thing', so even that is left to the reader to find out slowly. I liked that, as it kept me completely involved in the book and turning pages.

I would recommend this for fans of Kathy Reichs's Tempy Brennan series, or just fans of thrillers. I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads. For a thriller, I found it original and a pretty good example of the genre - and not badly written either.

Puppies!

Where has the time gone? It was just yesterday, surely, when the schools closed and I was deemed free. Yay! I had such good intentions. I was going to rebuild cabinets in the kitchen, I was going to sort out my garden and get it flourishing again, I was going to fix up the veggie garden, I was going to read my TBR pile (almost) flat, and I was going to get this blog and all my reviews in and up to date. Well, surprise, surprise, none of that has happened. I have two good excuses: 1) we are in the middle of a hectic drought, so doing anything in the garden is pointless, and 2) I got puppies!

Tougie

Puppies: the devourers of time (and toes and shoes), the creators of work (I have mopped floors endlessly), and bundles of fun (if you can keep your fingers out the way). To those who have been following me, you will know I lost my Staffie to cancer in June. Tortuga (Tougie) was such an awesome dog, and he left a very big hole in the house and our hearts. Because this is Africa and safety is a genuine concern, I knew I had to get past Tougie and get another dog. I phoned around at the different animal rescue organisations (definitely not supporting breeders after reading Kathy Reich's Bones in Her Pocket), and finally hit the jackpot. Save-a-Pet in Port Elizabeth had what they thought were Staffie puppies who had just reached the age to adopt that morning. I tossed my mom in the car and we headed down there keeping closely to the speed limit. We didn't want someone to come and pip us at the post.

Pic from Save-a-Pet. The box they were
 found in

At Save-a-Pet we heard the horrifying story of the four puppies (one of which we were planning to adopt). They had been found in a burger box on a rubbish tip at 12 hours old. I gather that there were more than the four in the box, but only those had made it. Two looked like Staffie pups, two looked like Labradors. They were hand reared on puppy formula.

Pic from Save-a-Pet. How little they
were.

Choosing one was a difficult task. They looked far too cute, wobbling around on unsteady legs, the little yips they gave us as they wanted to be loved... My heart broke. But, my mom and I decided that we would adopt the little girl - the 'Staffie' one. She was feisty and curious. At Save-a-Pet, they had named her Chilli (after a burger) because she was the spicy one. We couldn't take her home that day, as they were in quarantine for two weeks having just had their inoculations; and Save-a-Pet don't just let you take a puppy home. No, they send an inspector out to check your property to make sure that your property is suitable. I suspect it also prevents people from picking up dogs for dog fighting - yes... there is that problem going around too. (Some people should be shot - slowly.)

Mom and I on the big day!

Anyway, two weeks passed. Mom and I were busy puppy-proofing the house. Electric chords were lifted, I cleaned up the back garden (did I just accidentally do something on my to-do list?), the carpet was lifted and rolled up... We then made a bed for our new little madam, bought some toys and got out Tougie's blankets and gave them a good wash to freshen them up.

Finally the day came! We arrived there at 8am, even though their business hours say 10am (they said we could come early). Our little girl was excited to see us and came running up to the fence of the enclosure! My heart was full. And then... we heard that two of the other puppies were being adopted that day, but one was not. The people who were to adopt him did not pass the inspection. I just couldn't leave him behind all on his own. (He was too small to put with the bigger dogs.) Mom and I shared some eye-to-eye communication, and then we declared that we would take him too. Which is why I have two puppies and not the planned one. It also explains why we have a pup that looks like it has a lot of Lab in him - a new venture for us - a family who has only had Staffies and Alsatians before.

Neagley

I could just leave the story there, but I will take it just a few minutes later. Because these shelters are full, many of these dogs don't get to walk on grass. Our lot had never seen grass before. When we got home and popped them on the lawn for some very necessary ablutions, they looked quite funny trying to figure out what the spongy green stuff under their feet was. In fact, it took them three days to be able to run in a straight line on the grass. Today, they love rolling around on it.

Oh! I haven't told you what their names are! This is Neagley (right). Her name was taken from the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. Sergeant Neagley is a character that pops up every now and again. She was a military cop along with Jack. She is tough and capable. My Neagley is looking a lot less like a Staffie now that she is getting a bit older, but time will tell what we have. So far, she is living up to her name. In fact, stroppy bitch would not be an incorrect description of her.

Sherlock

And this is Sherlock (left). You don't need any explanation as to where I got that name from. Can't you just picture him with a deer stalker and pipe? His permanent wrinkly forehead makes it look like he is always deep in thought. He seems to have a gentler nature and is quite independent. He has no objection exploring the garden when Neags is napping (or pulling something apart).

I don't regret getting two puppies at all. They keep each other company, they chase each other around the garden, and what difference does it make whether I mop up one pee or two? Training is proving a bit trickier as I rarely know who made the puddle. Oh, and the other little problem with training. Apparently I have the best trained cats ever. They come when I call. Neagley and Sherlock have a healthy fear of the cats, so when I call the pups and the cats come running to me, they are not quite keen on joining in. We will be taking them off to puppy school in the new year. With luck that will iron out a few minor issues.

ETA: Although I really wanted to have all of 2016's reads reviewed in 2016, I don't think that is going to happen. I will be popping them up into the beginning of 2017. New Year's resolution? Don't fall behind on reviews (again)!

The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima

I picked the first three in the series up because I really enjoyed Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series. Being October and in the middle of setting a gazillion exam papers (are you getting bored of me mentioning this? I m getting bored of doing it...), I needed something light and fun and not requiring any serious thought. Of course, having worked myself to a stand still, only getting 3 to 4 hours sleep a night for a month, trying to make my deadlines, I had a 'senior' or 'blonde' moment and picked up book 2 instead of book 1. That was not such a good idea, as I am sure you could guess, being a fantasy series. However, besides the fact that I spoilt book 1 completely, at least I was lucky enough to choose a series where the second book follows a new character. But... this has made reviewing the first two books a bit tricky.

The Warrior Heir

In The Warrior Heir, we meet Jack. He thinks he is just an ordinary teenager, but, of course, he is not. What he is though, I will leave you to find out. In this magical world, some people are born with weir stones near their hearts. This makes them either warriors, wizards, sorcerers,enchanters or seers. (The rest of us, I am afraid, are just Muggles - or Anaweir as they are called in this world.) To add to the complexities of this world there is also a long running feud between the white and red roses.

 This was fun to read. The action ran through the pages non-stop. I do have to question the sense of some of the adults in here. I think YA should stop encouraging the myth that as soon as you pass 21 your IQ decreases in leaps and bounds.

I wish I had read this book first (as opposed to book 2 - senior moment). I spoilt myself very badly, which I think took something out the 'Wow' factor, or the 'Hey! I was right!" factor. It makes it hard to comment on the suspense because I already knew the outcome.

This is an interesting world Chima has created. The use of 'class' is definitely a very good reflection on the prejudiced world we live in.

While giving this a 3 star rating, I think I would have given it a 5, had I read this when I was 14.

The Wizard Heir

In this addition to the series, we meet Seph. Seph knows he can do things - especially when he is not intending to. The book starts with him accidentally burning down a night club full of people. Woops! Seph gets sent to a special school, but things are not what they seem. He meets people like him. But... this ain't Hogwarts!

The plot in this is interesting and maintains the suspense throughout. It is targeted at a younger YA audience though, so I am not the intended demographic. To be honest though, this is hitting the spot. It is light and fun and predictable (yes, yes - did anyone not work out that ...).

This was nice to read during hectic moments in life. I also gave it 3 stars, but again, just in case you missed it, I am far too old to be the target audience for this.

The Dragon Heir

Another interesting installment.


This book follows Jason and Madison (who you meet in book 2) as the war continues. What role could someone who is not a powerful wizard play? In fact, what role could an anti-wizard play? Can the kids keep the defences up and running considering the odds they are facing? You would have to read this to find out.


I was impressed with the bold move Chima made in here. I did not expect that. Each book follows different characters; book 1 - Jack, book 2 - Joseph etc. It gives different perspectives and adds to the overall story. But I miss the characters from the earlier books. I feel that they almost become background secondary characters in the other books. Which is a bit disappointing once one has got to know and like the characters. I felt that all the personality they had developed in a prior book is lost as soon as they are no longer the main character of the next book. I could not feel Jack in here, and Seph was a completely foreign being. He was definitely not the boy I had grown to know in book 2. And I have to ask the question that I tend to ask while reading YA. WHERE THE BLAZES ARE THE ADULTS? Seriously, I consider myself to be challenged in the maternal instinct department, but hell, not even I would leave a bunch of kids to do THAT all alone while I went off on a different adventure.

This one has a fairly conclusive ending, so I am going to leave it here for now. While it isn't a bad series for younger readers, I am not dying to know what happens next. Another 3 stars from me.

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Another one of my 50c finds at the School Feeding Fund's book sale.

Tom Ripley has not had an easy life. He was orphaned as a child and raised by a cold aunt. Now, as an adult, he is dabbling in white collar crime because he still can't get a break. But things change when he gets asked to find the wealthy Dicky Greenleaf in Greece and convince him to come home. (Jaws music should probably be playing at this point.)

I think I have realised why I struggle with books with the bad guy as the protagonist. I am a goody two shoes. I have this ridiculous fear of getting into trouble. So this is my mental process while reading books like this: What are you doing? You are never going to get away with that! ... Oh you idiot! You are going to be in SOOO much trouble! ... Dude! You're insane. WTF! There is no way you are going to pull that off! ... etc., etc.,etc.. I have to force myself to realise that, should this be real, I would want the guy trussed up well and tossed in jail indefinitely. But the thought of all that trouble...

In other words, my reading experience of this was draining and suspenseful; I could use that old cliche: like watching a train wreck in slow motion. But having said that, it was an interesting read. I could also see similarities between Tom and Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis. 'The Talented Mr Ripley' was far less graphic though, so it was much less repulsive to read.

I probably should also mention that this is one of the few books I have read where I have noticed the correct use of the gerund. Patricia Highsmith managed to take me on one hell of a ride because of the characters she created. Even though I would detest someone like Tom, I could feel sympathy for him, and, (which is odd) want him to succeed - or at least get away with what he did. I felt Tom's hurt, embarrassment and discomfort when things stopped going well for him with Dicky. Although Marge should have been seen as a caring character, I constantly saw her as a potential hindrance. I think this all goes to show that Tom was a brilliant narrator.

This is probably deserved 3.5 stars from me, if not more.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

When a reluctant learner gives you a book to read because they liked the book - you read it. You read it even if your TBR pile has multiplied and had children. You read it even if you have absolutely no interest in the book whatsoever. So I read this.

Eddie is killed in a freak accident at work while trying to save a child. What follows are his experiences in heaven, meeting people whose lives touched his, or whose lives he touched.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is not a slog to read. It goes quickly - very quickly. The other thing I liked about it is that it highlighted that there is more than one side to every situation. A point that many people could do with some reminding about. But, I will be honest here, I didn't enjoy it. Let me explain. While I was happy that there were two sides to every issue, I felt that the reasons given for some of the actions of some people were not adequate in justifying their actions, and were definitely not adequate for understanding, let alone forgiveness. Take, for example, an extremely (physically) abusive parent. One sole decent act later on in life does not justify nor make up for years of beating one's children. Yes, it might show another side to a person who might have just been considered a monster, but it only raises more questions. Why could somebody who was clearly capable of understanding and forgiveness and immense self-sacrifice beat their kids without cause? See. Those are the things I am questioning after reading this.

I do not know if this was intended for a young audience, but it was written as though it was. The vocabulary and sentence structure was the opposite of challenging. Even the print was suited for the visually challenged. The best part of this was the very beginning when you know Eddie is going to die, but don't know how. The suspense was done fairly well there.

But the review that Junior got at school was that I thought his philosophy on life was interesting. I liked how there were two sides to every situation. And I liked how even what would seem irrelevant events, could cause chain reactions or cause an effect and effect people years later. I told her I thought I was a very interesting read.

I know I am not the intended audience for books like this. I am an atheist. I don't believe in heaven. I also feel that Mitch Albom knows just as much as everyone else does about the 'afterlife' - absolutely bloody nothing. So while I can see what he is trying to do (besides run on the shirt tails of Tuesday's with Morrie, his first book which got acclaim from Opera), I just don't see him as an expert on any of this. His guess on the afterlife is as good as yours and mine. His theories for living life are as good as yours and mine.

I gave this 3 stars. It was Ok.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Did I ever mention the amazing book sale I stumbled upon? I found this book at that magnificent book sale in the 'Ten books for R5' section. Yes. There is no typo there. I really spent a whopping 50c on this. (All the other books were R5 a book - and I mean ALL the other books! :D ) The other thing that drew me to this book (because at that price I was already very tempted) was the way in which it is written. It is written as separate poems, which together, make the whole story. I have read epic poems (Paradise Lost comes to mind first), but never something like this. For that price, I was prepared to give it a go.

Billie Jo is living in The Dust Bowl in America during the depression. Her father is a wheat farmer, and with the drought and dust (and no, we are not talking about the bit that one tackles when cleaning the house, this is the type or dust that can cover and hide your house), times are hard. And just when things are hard - they get worse.

While I do not feel able to judge the quality of the poetry, I am quite confident that I can make a fair appraisal of the story. I found this very touching. Maybe that was a result of the poetry. There were no unnecessary frills and long passages of description which drowned out the bare bones of the story. The story itself was devastating in places, but ended with a tone of hope.

I found the history of the Dust Bowl during the depression interesting. It is something I had never heard about. (If you want to know why, take a look at the unit of currency my country uses.) The imagery of the dust was vivid, and felt smothering, adding to the feeling the narrator was experiencing.

I gave this 4 stars because I felt touched by this book. I could relate to Billie Jo wanting to leave and I could relate to.... well... that would be a spoiler.