A week in December

A Week in December
Sebastian Faulks

This is the first Faulks book I've read. I'll probably try another because although this one was a bit disjointed, it kept me interested.

It tells the story of several British families over the period of one week (the week before Christmas) in 2007. Sadly, I could not identify with any of the families, they were all strangers to me. It begins with the wife of a newly elected M.P. planning a dinner party to show off her husband and to put him in front of powerful/famous people.

There's a powerful hedge-fund manager, who you just cannot like, a Yorkshire/Scottish/Asian family, rich and famous for their 'British' pickles, and several others too forgettable to describe. There are two man backgrounds to the story in my mind: the collapse of British banking caused by greed an self-service and terrorism. The terrorism comes from the son of the the Asian family - whilst his father prepares to attend the palace to receive an MBE (or such) his, son is in France buying bomb ingredients.

A fair read, but as I say - for me, disjointed [in several ways].

The Winter Ghosts

The Winter Ghosts
Kate Mosse

I enjoyed reading Mosse's first book Labyrinth so much that we visited Carcassonne (I'd wanted to go anyway, it sounded so 'French') a few years ago. On that holiday, I chose to read Sepulchre, another of Kate Mosse's books, set in a similar area of Languedoc - we were even able to visit the villages detailed in the book, while reading it! (TOURISTS!!!). I wasn't as thrilled about book two, but it was a good enough read. [I blogged this at the time: http://dsugblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/summer-reading-france-2008.html]

Winter Ghosts therefore, was one of those books I bought and set aside to read in comfort and once again, in France (but the north this time).

The author admits at the end of her book, that the plot was originally published as a short story. She had re-visited it and re-published as a novel.

It shows!

I nearly gave up a few times. Almost a third of the book is pure fluff, I never really felt any link with the main character until he got to the (fictional) village and met people there. From here on, the story was fine and enjoyable - but the first third ---- Nah!

I'm sure thee will be a clamour for Citadel when it's released in September, but I'm not sure whether I will be one of the clamourers!

Norway's answer to Columbo/Bergerac

The Redbreast
Nemesis
The Devil's Star
 ... [The Oslo Trilogy:]
By ... Jo Nesbo

My friend Jim told me about Jo Nesbo, he said I'd enjoy reading his books. Jim won't just read any old rubbish, so I took him up on his recommendation.

The author is Norwegian; the translation is by someone in East Anglia. The stories are great.

Although each book has 'The Next Stieg Larsson' plastered on the front, the only resemblances I can see between the two are that A) the author is Scandinavian and B) the action takes place in Scandinavia (Oslo and Norway, as opposed to Stockholm and /Sweden) - oh, and the stories move on at a cracking pace. I enjoyed all three (in fact I haven't quite finished the third).

The main character is Harry Hole, an Oslo policeman who get promoted to 'Inspector' very early on in the story. Harry is an alcoholic and doesn't seem able to stay sober long enough to keep a relationship together; and he isn't too bothered by 'rules'. Although each book is self contained, each one follows the previous one and I'm looking forward to some sort of denouement now, as I reach the end of book three.

Like many other great fictional characters, Harry is difficult to understand yet easy to admire. He smokes, he drinks and he has a touch of Lee Child's Jack Reacher about him. I'm looking forward to reading the next three books later in the year.

Dissolution - C. J. Sansom

I assume that World Book Night 2011 was the first of it's kind. I've certainly not heard of it before. See: http://www.worldbooknight.org/

The idea was that people volunteered to distribute one of the twenty five book titles listed amongst their friends. Being a little careful and not reading the rules properly, I didn't volunteer for this as I thought that I would have to buy the books myself and circulate those! Mmmmm!!!! The list included several books I've previously read: Killing Floor, by Lee Child (I've read all his books), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Other titles listed, which I'd started but couldn't get into (or have forgotten reading) are: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Toast by Nigel Slater and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

Anyway, the delightful Karen Ford passed on a brand new, specially printed, copy of a book I hadn't read before: DISSOLUTION, by English author, C. J. Sansom.

I suspect that any readers versed in the doings of Inspector Morse and his sidekick Lewis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector_Morse) will recognise the set-up straight away: older detective type, assisted by younger, often mistaken/outspoken type (I never watched Morse above a couple of times, so apologies if I got that wrong).  Couple this set-up with a Cadfael-like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadfael setting (although some century's later) and you're ready to go.

Set during the period following Anne Bolyn's execution Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, is sent by the powerful Thomas Cromwell, vicar general (who Henry VIII later had executed for finding him an ugly wife?), to solve a murder at an Abbey some way away from London on the south coast.

I enjoyed reading the book although it took me some time to get into the unusual set-up and setting. The Morse - Lewis thing doesn't hold out, but you'll have to read it to find out. Would I read it again? - no. Would I read the follow-up book? - probably.

Elves and Dragons

Eregon
Eldest
Brisingr
By: ... Christopher Paolini
3 books of the Inheritance Cycle
http://www.alagaesia.com/#/home

Just before Christmas, I was invited to watch the movie Eregon. That wasn't something I'd normally have looked forward to, but the Christmas spirit (literally), good company and a relaxed atmosphere made it something I was prepared to put up with.

How wrong could I be! The film drew me in and I was thereby introduced to the Inheritance Cycle of books. Having seen the film, I was offered the Eregon and Eldest Omnibus to read and I devoured them. They were rollicking reads and I couldn't put them down.

The stories are based on a traditional battle between good and evil and involves dragons, elves, dwarves, Urgals, humans and magic in a land that has a passing resemblance to Middle Earth. As far as I can tell, the author was 19 when his first novel was published so it's forgiveable that there are some echoes of Tolkein's major works in here (they dispel as the books mature).

Eregon finds a Dragon egg, which hatches for him. This binds them together forever and Eregon becomes a Dragon Rider. He is trained by Brom who we find out later is an ex-Dragon Rider and founder of the Varden - determined to bring down the evil Galbatorix, who has wiped out all of the other Dragon Riders and who holds the Empire under his thumb.

Elves and Dwarves and their histories are intertwined throughout these three books. I've just finished the third - Brisingr - and whilst it's a little bit drawn out, it finishes on a high note, setting us up for a fabulous fourth book - coming soon.

David

The Source - James Michener

This book was first published in the 60's. It had completely passed me by until it appeared in my Amazon 'Wish List' last year. I don't remember putting it there but must have because there it was.

Gail (Sis in law), bought it me for my birthday last December stating that she'd worked on a kibbutz close to where this fictional history takes place. Although fictional, it is built around historical fact and those thing history suggest.

Starting with Ur, a caveman the history races through thousands of years to finish with Israeli Independence in 1948. Despite the very tiny print and the fact that Michener's prose is not the easiest to read, I could not put the book down. I learned so much about the development of land and religion in the middle East - things I would not have known (or believed) without reading the book. Did you know that the Greeks held sway over what we knew as Palestine long before the Romans? Or, that pretty much all of Judaism was wiped out in the area only to be repopulated by later expulsions from Europe?

Well worth a read.

Honour and the Sword - A. L. Berridge

This has been a cracking read.

Following my disappointment with the Kuzneski book, I was looking forward to something as entertaining and riveting as other previous reads, which I have still to blog about :-(

This is Lousie Berridge's first novel http://www.louiseberridge.com/ but it's a humdinger of a read. In the book, set in the 30 years war that ravaged Europe in the 17th Century, a young French landowner (I suppose we'd call him a squire) becomes orphaned at a young age and we follow him through his growth to manhood. He is rewarded for his tenacity by the love and admiration of his people (his peasants I suppose).

I also like the fact that she's English, has obviously been to France and spells words like honour with a 'u', and not a 'gotten' to be found.

It looks, from the Berridge web site, that this is only the first of a yet to be written and published series following the young squire though this dangerous period of European history.

I'm looking forward to the next.

Wordle from next book (with the publisher)

The Secret Crown - Chris Kuzneski

It's been a while since I actually recorded the books I've read. I'd stopped because I was a) too busy and b) Blogger attracts SOooo much spam.

However, I may well start again.

I'm currently reading a book by Chris Kuzneski - The Secret Crown and so far, it's utter crap!

As far as I can see, it's a I'm-laid-on-a beach-and-will-read-anything book and certainly, compared to me more recent reading (see upcoming blog posts) it's dreadful. Now, I don't set out to be the be all and end all guru of book commentary but I seriously doubt if I will get through it. There's no plot to speak of (that I can see yet) and the too main (very hunky ex 'super secret' service guys) have so far spent their time teasing each other in a sort of pseudo childish/butch way. If these guys are killers why is the plot not visible yet and why are they acting like big girl's blouses?

If I find I'm wrong and it turns out to be good - I'll come back to this.

For now - avoid like the plague.

To come:
The Source by James A. Michener
Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett  

Continuing The Secret Crown - it didn't get any better, in fact if anything it got worse. Utter rubbish!

David

An American Wife - and - Triptych

An American Wife

Curtis Sittenfeld

http://www.curtissittenfeld.com/about-american-wife.html

This was the book I chose to be the ‘book I wouldn’t normally read’ this summer. I tend to do at least one, because I usually just read airport novels (those which while away the time without taxing your brain too much). And, I enjoyed reading it.

It really is three (fictional) installments of the life of an American President’s wife. It is supposed to be something of a tribute to Laura Bush and all the time I was reading it I couldn’t get my mind off ‘Charlie’ being ‘Dubbya’.

The first part tells of Alice’s early life in Wisconsin, which is known for it’s farms and farming. Her father is a small town bank manager and her mother is a tied to the kitchen sink (willingly) housewife. Her grandmother however, is something of a character. Alice has a normal life goes to college and all that stuff. The second part of the book relates to her meeting Charlie, of their courtship, their early marriage and almost divorce. Finally, aspects of both these parts of Alice’s life come back to haunt them both at a critical time in Charlie’s Presidentship. It is a good read and there are some charming reminders of everyday married life and love.

Triptych

Karin Slaughter

Of all the books I’ve read this summer, I think that this is the one I enjoyed the most. This excludes An American Wife, which was a different kind of book. Triptych is one of the read-it: bin-it books you take on holiday (like Connelly, Grisham etc.) It’s possibly part of a series and hopefully – the first one. But it rattled on and surprised me from time to time. Set in Atlanta it goes on the tell of murder and mayhem in a way that I found interesting.

Involves rape and children so maybe not to everyone's taste - but the baddy gets it in the end. Which is as it should be.

A Most Wanted Man

A Most Wanted Man

John leCarré

It’s been a while since I’ve read leCarré, I Tinker Tailor’ed him and a couple of others about the same time but couldn’t get into any of his in-between books. A Most Wanted Man was easy to read, had no real ‘iron curtain’ material in it – although the main characters speak Russian – and it rattled on at a pace.

The book shyly refers to ‘the war on terror’ almost shamefacedly but revolves around a Chechen Muslim who has come into some money via his newly deceased father, a former Soviet General; guilty of criminal acts and murder across the Soviet empire – the son being the result of Chechen rape. All sorts of international organizations become involved and pressures are put to bear on two other principle characters – a lawyer and a banker.

A rattling read, something to while away the long-haul hours or under a sun umbrella.

The Appeal

The Appeal

John Grisham

[I'm on holiday right now, so these might come thick and fast)

What can I say? The last book I read of Grisham’s didn’t impress, so this could only get better. And it did, marginally. It took me about half the book to realise that this wasn’t about any appeal, but about the characters, politics, big business and sly wheeler dealings that go on in life. It is a slow meander through a legal life where the underdog continues to get bitten.

Not the best Grisham I’ve read. I won’t read it again.

The Time Traveller's Wife

It's not that I haven't read any books since last summer - just that I haven't made the time to list them here.

The Time Traveller's Wife
by Audrey Niffennegger

was recommended to me by Lilian Soon.

It has been an absolutely cracking read (I still have a few pages to go - so maybe I haven't finished yet ..), a real roller coaster,which, had I had the time - wouldn't have been put down. I managed to read half the book during a day and a half at half term in Wales but the rest has taken up whatever time I've had outside of work and reading work documents.

Don't let the title put you off - I sort of expected a H.G. Wellsy sort of thing (with some trepidation) but the time traveling is involuntary rather than planned.

At its heart the book is the lifelong love story of Clare and Henry. The way in which characters are drawn and time is used is breathtaking and at times hard to follow - but only because I was leaving the book for days inbetween reads.

I read a lot of books and many of them are fine reads - but this one stands out for me in the same way that Captain Corelli did when I first read that.

Brillian. Thanks Lils.

David

Summer reading - France 2008

Sepulchre – Kate Mosse

This is a formulaic book designed to reap the rewards of its highly successful predecessor – Labyrinth. Set in the same area of Languedoc and split over two time periods, it seems to follow the previous successful recipe. Although I enjoyed reading it (and it was easy enough to read on holiday), I could never get over the feeling that I’d read it before (so like Labyrinth). The plot considers special Tarot and Cathare treasure, with the occasional appearance of Labyrinth characters. It revolves around actions in Paris before moving down to Renne Les Bains, about 25 mile south of Carcassonne. Easy reading, hard to get lost. Not as good as the predecessor.

Life of Pi – Yann Martel

This was an excellent read. At last a new, cliché free plot. Told in the style of a first person narrative (after a third person introduction) it is the story of a sixteen year old Hindu/vegetarian Indian boy emigrating, with his family to Canada. Their ship sinks – and the story moves into uncharted waters (that’s a cliché!).

It’s a lovely read: there is lots of religion, death, cannibalism (not all of it animal on animal) and lots of joy. Nothing is ever what it seems. I recommend this to anyone as a diversion from the usual holiday pap.


The Alchemist’s Secret – Scott Mariani

This is reputedly Scott’s first book. Yet, it seems to me whilst whistling through it, that it was a cynical, formulaic attempt to cash in on the recent spate of Da Vinci Code/Labyrinth genre of holiday pap. (I enjoyed Da Vinci Code and I enjoyed Labyrinth)

It must be hard for someone to claim this as their first book and not be embarrassed. Don’t get me wrong, it was an easy read – ideal for reading in the sun (or inside by a roaring fire when it’s raining hard outside) but it was almost like reading a compendium of other books. For a start the main baddie is Vatican based (ish), the treasure trove is Cathare, the main setting is along the Limoux road immediately south of Carcassonne and in Montpellier (thereby showing that he’d looked at a map of Languadoc). The main goodie is a mean and moody ex-SAS chap who is as resourceful as Matt Damon in the Bourne Trilogy. He could be based on Matt Damon to be honest and the love interest (she’s a professor but seems to be very hairy fairy). Love scenes are twee (and unnecessary). Nice attempt but cynical pap.

English as a Second Language – Megan Crane (http://www.megancrane.com/)

Not nrmally being a consumer of 'chick-lit' books, I found this a refreshing no brainer. Betony had bought it in Atlanta arport when she and her mum were delayed there for 24 hours and both had finished reading it by the time they got back. I similarly finished it in double quick time: But remained constantly entertaied.

The story of a mid-late twenties all American girl coming to England (I suspect York) to study for her Masters. Lots of booze and mooning over boys (men I suppose at this age?) and refresing views of our language. e.g. "alright?" .. being the idiomatic English version of "how are you today? Well I trust?"

Currently reading Holy Fools by Joanne Harris.

e-Guides post

blah blah blah

City of Bones - Michael Connelly

Well – a hat trick of Connelly’s! But by far the best. It’s probably that I like the Hieronymus Bosch books better than the rest. My dad had bought this for £1.00 somewhere and thought that I should read it before he did (because he had a lot of library books to wade though).

So I started last week and I’ve finished it now.

This must be the book that comes before the Narrows because at the end Harry resigns. Basically, they find some bones on a hillside which turn out to be those of a 12 year old boy who died about 20 years before. It’s quite a winding tale but ‘whodunnit?’ didn’t turn out to be who I thought – although she was involved!

The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly

Well, I just had to prove to myself that Michael Connelly books were not all crap. So – because I had it anyway, I read The Lincoln Lawyer in April.

It had a much better plot that ‘Chasing the Dime’ and rattled on at a pace but there was something about it that didn’t quite settle me.

Nevertheless, this is one that I’ll probably come back to, to see if I can get some more out of it. Basically it’s the story of a guy who, instead of having an office – employs an ex-wife to take phone calls and do filing – whilst he works out of the back of his Lincoln. He’s hired to defend some rich guy who is seriously weird! Can’t remember much else (I have that skill with books like this – read ‘em and forget ‘em – which is why I should keep up to this blog!

Chasing the Dime

by Michael Connelly

It's a bit of a cheat this because I haven't quite finished reading yet. I bought the book because I usually like Michael Connelly’s [http://www.michaelconnelly.com/] books but this one is dire! I’m getting really frustrated reading it. I have The Lincoln Lawyer sat waiting - but this has put me off.

Previous books I’ve read by Connelly have been Harry Bosch books: The Narrows and The Closers (I think that I even read The Poet, but cannot remember the plot) and they have been fine. Reading books like this just to pass the time on a train, in a hotel or on the beach is great – there’s no pressure and a story line that is credible (ish) and goes at some pace helps me to relax.

All this is untrue of ‘Chasing the Dime’. The chief honcho of an advanced techno company (small company on the verge of big-time) is lured into a nightmare world of prostitution, porno web sites and killers simply because his new flat has the ex-number of a call girl/escort. Most of us would wait until the next opportunity (in this case ‘Monday’) to change the number and get on with our lives. But not this guy. Henry Pierce goes off on a crusade to find the girl and to ‘rescue’ her. He does the most unimaginably stupid things, even after having one of the best defence lawyers (yes he gets into bother with the police) secured for him. Things that you and I would not do – we would do ‘this’ or ‘that’ but never what this geek does. I’m at a point now (I will finish the book – I’m determined to see if I’ve missed a point somewhere) where Henry has found hidden keys to a storage facility and (as usual) instead of saying “hey Mrs. Lawyer woman – where do you think these came from?” – He goes up to the facility and opens the solitary freezer he finds there! Well, you can guess can’t you? The body of said call girl is in the freezer and he’s now shed all of his DNA/hair fibres/fingerprints etc. all over the place. He's been set up, but any normal person would have seen that coming.

It’s so frustrating that I’ve had to write this just to calm me down. If we’d been on holiday and I’d been reading this somewhere, I’d have had all the tea prepared by now (not usual when I’m reading).

David

The Hard Way

The Hard Way by Lee Child - a Jack Reacher Thriller (!)

You'll have seen this, I was half way through the book when I noticed that it was one of the big Ads on the London Underground. So there’s big big promotion behind it.

I'd bought the book in Newcastle Station last week, to see me on my way back to Yorkshire on the train. I'd never heard of Lee Child or especially of Jack Reacher. However, as the book was on offer at W.H Smiths @ half price, I was tempted.

It's a rollicking read - if you don't want anything believable and you just want to suspend reality for a while. Jack Reacher is one of those men that just don't exist. He doesn't wear a watch (neither do I - so what?) but knows the exact time to the second - and how many times do we hear of this feat! He can remember details of people that pass him in the street - I can't remember details of people who live in my house! He is super-human in many ways, not least (we are told) in his sexual exploits, although in this book he managed to bed a private investigator ten years older than him (AND she used to be FBI).

Story?

Mercenary kills first wife, second wife wants out, mystery moves from New York to East Anglia. Mystery solved. Jack slopes off.

Includes all sorts of US special forces, UK SAS and Para! As I said above - it's a cracking no brainer.

David

AA Gill - Sunday Times 'Style' 04/03/07

For two weeks running now we’ve had reference to the ongoing Huddersfield joke in AA Gill’s ‘Table Talk’ (Sunday Times Style Magazine – 4th March 2007). Much as I and all my fellow Huddersfuddlians appreciate the recognition, more normally dolled out over intermittent periods, I must point out that this week’s historic and geographic references are not up to AA’s usual standards.

First of all Doncaster is in South Yorkshire and Huddersfield is in West Yorkshire. Whilst both towns are indeed in ‘God’s own county’ they are as far apart culturally and socially as Basques and Catalans – both easily recognisable as Spaniards but so very different.

Adrian spends more than half of his column comparing the origins of the Chinese-style New Year, recognising (no doubt correctly) that the Yorkshire beastly calendar came first. His forgivable historical inaccuracy is that this Yorkshire year is the year of the Yaffle. Lucky Stone: Coal, Lucky body part: cleft palette, Lucky car part: grease nipple, Spiritual word: bollocks! The year of the Yaffle (according to those East Yorkshire folk) is the year of clenched buttocks and tight smiles.

When it comes around, I’m certain that the year of the ferret (as predicted by AA) will cast a gilded glow of nicely nicely magic over Huddersfield – but until then we must abide within our dark and dank satanic Pennine valley.

;-)

Their Space

http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/theirspace

I realise that this is not a book, but it runs to over 80 pages and I enjoyed reading it, so I'm doing a review right here! The pamphlet is avaialble from the web page @ £10.00 but a .pdf file can be downloaded free of charge (guess which I did).

"Education for a digital generation draws on qualitative research with children and polling of parents to counter the myths obscuring the true value of digital media. "

It's well worth the time to sit and read this if you get the chance and if you are interested in moving the UK's Education system forward. The paper tends to echo what lies at the heart of everything I do. It pinpoints a real need for us all to understand the advances young people (from the very earliest cognitive age) are making. These are often seen but misunderstood - or not understood at all, in fact we often place barriers to the advances in their way.

Just looking beyond the titled subject matter for a minute - the document discusses young people and their ability (or capability, indeed social NEED) to change the world. The problem currently, is that teachers and lecturers have not yet faced this need and have not therefore adapted their style of teaching as necessary. The publication suggests that it is the 'system' that prevents these necessary changes - and I wholeheartedly agree but the system can be changed from within if enough teachers take up the mantle and adapt to suit their charges.

Unfortunately, there are no answers given or discussed to the knee-jerk reaction of most schools and colleges to 'inappropriate' use of 'the system'. The barriers mentioned earlier. Basically, kids using YouTube or MySpace scare adults and teachers who don't quite understand what is going on. Major shifts in learning (styles and capabilities) are taking place and our answer to this is to ban access to the sites. Oh, I know that young people shouldn't really be using institutional machines to view a variety of 'naughty' (or morally suspect - an example given to me was the early morning viewing of Saddam swinging from the rope) things, but they will always want to push boundaries of good taste and social mores. Instead of banning the use - why can't we implement those punishments the institution has in place. In colleges every student signs an acceptable use policy; beat them with it!

I’m told that the institutional fear is ‘Every Child Matters’ – which imposes a duty of care on all who work with ‘Children’.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/youngpeople/greenpaper.html
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/

Sadly, it seems that the re-training and re-skilling which is needed, is not high on the agenda of many college (or school) managements. Where it is, it is usually due to some external pressure. There is still a massive need for e-Learning staff development in this country and until the powers that be recognise this we'll get nowhere. I've heard all the glib answers, but coming from politicians so far removed from the classroom (or the social net-space!) they mean very little. When I can still go into a roomful of teachers, show them what CAN be done and simple ways of DOING it and come away leaving them enthused and motivated - it proves there is still a need. What those teachers then need is TIME to practice, to evaluate and to synthesise their learning, then to be supported and guided towards future devel0pment.

Rant over.

David