Literary Brooding

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain A friend recommended this to me and I am glad I took the time to read this book, otherwise I would have missed out on this gem. What I liked about this book is that it is a not a how to. Cain does a wonderful job of exploring the world that both extroverts and introverts inhabit and how they come into conflict with each other. Cain does not decry or champion either side in this battle but looks at how being an extrovert in some cultures has almost become a requirement. There are some wonderful case studies in this book that look how the rise of extroverts has overwhelmed those who are thinkers, who need time to construct a response.  The in depth look at Tony Robbins is extremely well done. It really does bring to light the difficulties anyone who is slightly introvert has in a world that tells you the only way to succeed is to be loud and proud. For some people this will be a beacon of light, ha...

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen Hodder & Stoughton, 2007, 209 pages Handed down through the generations is the Waverley curse and Claire and her sister Sydney have dealt with the situation in different ways. Each of the Waverley women has a unique ability that brings them into some sort of conflict with the townspeople. For Claire staying in Bascom has meant accepting she is different and accepting she will never truly belong. Sydney runs away and hopes to forge a life but an abusive husband has her returning home. If you like the movie Practical Magic you will like this book. The characters were well developed, some nice touches of humour, through in some romance and this is a pleasant read.   

The Lost Book of Salem Katherine Howe The story in a nutshell is that student Connie Goodwin intends to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. Yet things get complicated when her mother wants her to handle the sale of Connie’s grandmothers abandoned home near Salem. While cleaning Connie finds an old family bible, a key and piece of parchment fall out. On the parchment is the name Deliverance Dane. Connie finds herself compelled to reveal the history of Deliverance and questing for a long lost book of magic. This book was a disappointment on many levels and that is a shame as the idea held great promise. I am going to start with some of the things that bugged me about this novel and the first thing was some of the descriptions or actions of characters. Many a time I would read a line and go how does that even work? For example Connie is described in one scene as sitting at the bar tapping her head. Tapping! I even tried it and did not make sense. Then ...

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier Virago Modern Classics 2003, 428 pages It is a classic novel, it has had countless of words written about it and the opening line is famous. So what insight can I add to what is considered an all-time classic novel? All I can tell you is what I love about the novel. I love how Du Maurier has created a novel with atmosphere, amazing characters and a wonderfully complex plot. The star of the novel is Rebecca who we only come to know through the recollections of others. What makes Rebecca wonderful is how invasive she is. Though dead for over a year Rebecca is everywhere, tainting everything, impacting everyone and still influencing the outcome of everyone and everything. Even though so many love her, you know that there is something sinister about Rebecca. It is amazing story, a wonderful read and so beautifully crafted.

The Third Day, The Frost  John Marsden Pan McMillan, 1995, 278 pages This is the third book in a trilogy that went on to become a seven book series.  I picked up this book for the bargain price of $1 (I love country second hand junk shops) and it was a good investment. The story is about a group of Australian high school kids who have found themselves out in the bush trying to fend for themselves after an invasion by an unnamed Asian country. Instead of capitulating and becoming victims, the group uses guerrilla tactics to cause mayhem. In this book we catch up with the group who are recovering from another successful mission but they are reeling from the loss of a friend and suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.  It is in these early moments of the book that you see the toll that has been taken on the group both physically and mentally. The dynamics of the group are shifting, while they remain committed to their objectives, they are tired and have had enough. ...

Head to Toe – Joe Orton Minerva Publishing 1990, 192 pages I have read some pretty bizarre books in my time but Orton’s effort really takes top place. I have long been a fan of Orton’s works having read and seen his plays. I have even read his journals which I thought were fascinating. In Head to Toe, Orton has us follow Gombold who travels around a rather large creature. Gombold meets up with an array of characters and situations from an assassination, to the war between buttocks and being in prison. There is no easy way to classify this novel or what it is all about. It is quite difficult to review because when you finish it really is what the f*ck have I just read. The story and concepts are completely out there and you find yourself caught in a world that makes no sense at all. Yet the novel is compelling to read, easy to lose yourself in and for some explicit reason you want to know what happens to Gombold. The one thing that I am sure of that is that Orton has lampooned p...

Raven – A Time of Ghosts by Richard Kirk Corgi, 1978, 203 pages. I picked this up at a second hand store for $1 and I was willing to overlook the cover of a woman wearing only a helmet carrying a sword jumping into battle. I have purchased fantasy books from the 70’s where the marketing was displaying females in fantasy novels as nothing more than naked sex goddess. I had found that did not really represent the story between the covers. On this occasion it does. This is the second book in the series and I have not read the first one, nor do I intend to. Raven and her band of warriors are out chasing some evil wizard and seeking some personal justice. The world Kirk has created is not that bad, there is some interesting elements to it and the story is not that bad. What you really need here are strong characters and this is where things become difficult. Raven is your golden-haired beauty, wielder of a sword, a body every man lusts after and Kirk has created her as a woman who k...

American Gods - Neil Gaiman published 2005, Headline, 656pages I have to be honest I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s work and to not state that outright will be a poor attempt to disguise my bias. I own several versions of American God’s and have read them all but I like to come back to this edition as my re-read. Why? I do not know I just prefer the version and enjoy making my way through the novel and all its intricacies. I first read the book in 2007 and I think a gap of seven years is a nice time to come back to it. Days before his release from prison for armed robbery, Shadow is informed that his wife Laura has died in a car accident. His hopes of returning to a job, a loving wife and new beginnings are dashed. On the way home Shadow meets Mr Wednesday, a mysterious character who hints at a world of Gods and the possibility of a war between the old and new Gods. That is the superficial level of the novel but it is much deeper than that. Gaiman is the master of creating...

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan Paperback , 551 pages Published October 12th 2010 by Puffin   I listened to the Percy Jackson books I enjoyed the stories and how Riordan had created a believable world. I thought it would be good to actually read the next in the series. Thus allowing the characters develop in my imagination. It is pretty clear that this series is set in the world of Percy Jackson (PJ) as it is boldly printed on the front cover.   This serves as a warning that if you are thinking this is all Percy and Annabeth then you will be disappointed. Riordan has introduced three new heroes into the series and they have their own quest. You are offered the hope that the series will eventually link into the Percy Jackson story. The book starts off at a cracking pace, with Jason waking up on the back of a school bus having no idea what he is doing there or who he is. Jason is holding the hand of Piper, she believes they are boyfrien...

The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith Sphere, June 2014, 464 pages  Novelist Owen Quine has gone missing and his wife wants Cormoran Strike to bring him home. She does not want to go the Police as Quine has a habit of disappearing and she is not sure they will take her seriously. As Strike begins his investigation he discovers that Quine’s latest manuscript is a thinly veiled disguised attack on publishing elites and if the novel was made public lives and careers would be ruined.  That is the mystery part of the novel and it is gripping. There are twists and turns, clues and red herrings cleverly placed throughout the novel. You really want to know who done it. Yet there is a second level in this novel that works better, in my opinion than the mystery and that is the character of Cormoran Strike and his relationships with those around him. Cormoran is real to the reader and you really do connect with him. What Galbraith (Rowling) is very good at is relationship building betwee...

Dawn's Early Light A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris Ace Books, New York, 2014, 374 pages I have long been a fan of this series and have immersed myself into the world by downloading the podcasts as well. Yet I was somewhat disappointed by this book and that was a real surprise. Our intrepid heroes Eliza Braun and Wellington Books are out of the archives and in the field. They are let loose on the unsuspecting Americans and that makes for lots of fun. There is some unresolved sexual tension being carried over from the last book between Books and Braun but if you have not read the Janus Affair, do not panic, this book does stand alone. Assisting Braun and Books are two American agents Felicity Lovelace and 'Wild Bill' Wheatley and they add some extra dynamics into the story. The action is thick and fast, plenty of humour and an array of gadgets are used. I mean you have to love a gun that has a setting called ‘pub brawl’.  The ...

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion Text Publishing, 2013, 229 pages I read this book in a night and I have to say I really have mixed feelings about it. On one hand this is a funny novel about a guy Don Tillman who does not know that he suffers Asperger’s Syndrome. His life is about routine, efficiency, and black and white interpretation. Don decides that to find a suitable partner requires devising a questionnaire that will identify the best candidate. What throws a spanner in the works is Rosie Jarman who is the antithesis of everything he wants in a partner. What follows is the hilarity of the romantic chase and it is funny. Then you have a ‘but’ moment and that comes when you realise that people are laughing at Don. That all this humour is because of his affliction and that sits uncomfortably with me.  As you realise that as a reader you are laughing at a person with Asperger’s and the methods they use to try and live a normal as possible life.  That is when you feel...

The Lieutenant - Kate Grenville  Canongate, 2010 pages 307 Kate Grenville returns to the establishment of New South Wales in this wonderful novel that explores the relationship between Lieutenant Daniel Rooke and the Indigenous people. We follow Rooke as a child in England as he tries to come to terms with being gifted but believing that he is stupid and then as he commences his career in the military. Rooke establishes himself as a loner and a man who is extremely curious. Grenville has taken a historical fact and turned into a work of fiction. The story really works as she explores the different approaches in trying to engage the indigenous people. The relationship between Rooke and Tagaran is the central story and it is beautifully realised. There first interaction is wonderful and you do feel like you are intruding in a way. As their friendship develops so does their curiosity about each other. How they both live, socialise and the exploration of their differences. ...

Josephine Tey  - Brat Farrar Arrow Books, 2009, 275 pages I had read on some website somewhere that Tey’s Brat Farrar was one of those novels you had to read. Never having heard of Tey I was curious to find out why this novel was so beloved. I cannot say I consider it one of the great classics but there is a certain charm and elegance about the novel that makes it very endearing. Brat Farrar at 21 years of age has an uncanny resemblance to missing thirteen year old Patrick Ashby. Brat having been coached by a family friend in the mannerisms and Ashby family, he begins his deceit to become Patrick and inherit a good deal of money. As you read this novel, you have this real feeling that you are in the story, that you are standing next to Brat as he becomes more involved in the family. Tey is wonderful at establishing the scene and then taking you on this wonderful journey. I mean it becomes pretty obvious what has happened to Patrick but that does not matter as you are with Br...

The Bone Season Samantha Shannon Bloomsbury Publishing, 467 pages It is the year 2059 and Paige Mahoney is part of London's underworld using her 'unnatural powers' to acquire information for her employer Jaxon Hall. The problem is the powers she uses are outlawed and another race of people the Rephaite covet these skills. Paige is captured, taken to the Rephaite headquarters and commences her training under the Warden Arcturus. It is here that she learns more about her powers and a hint of the conspiracies that are all around her.  This was a mixed novel to read. The world is interesting, the ideas behind are well thought out but they do not come across on the page. I mean you have an enormous amount of information thrown at you but it was too much. It needed to be teased out through the story as it became relevant. There were so many big themes in this first novel that you are left reeling from an overload of information.  With so much thrown at you it becomes har...

London's Underworld edited by Peter Quennell by Henry Mayhew Being selections from 'those that will not work' the fourth volume of 'London labour and the London poor.'  Spring Books, London   This is a gem of a book as it is a good source material of social history of London's Underworld around the 1850s. Henry Mayhew while proclaiming to be objective is not that all, he certainly comes in with 'an holier than thou attitude' about the profession that 'these' people undertake. He goes through an extensive analysis of prostitution, he categorises the levels of engagement that women participate. For example Mayhew defines one class as 'female operatives' who can be milliners, dress makers, furriers, shoe-binders who only partake in prostitution to fund their extravagant life style or their own sexual gratification. In other classes of prostitution he reasons that some women undertake this type of work in the hope of finding a husban...

The Thirteenth Tale  Diane Setterfield Orion Publishing 2006 408 pages Not really sure what I thought about this book. I knew there was a lot of hype and I am not sure why.  This is a story about two women, Margaret a part time biographer who works selling books in her father's store and Vida Winter a famous novelist. Vida wants to tell the true story of her life and has requested Margaret to be the writer. What unfolds is a mystery with a gothic feel and a story of lies, truth and stories. There is some humour in the book, I liked when the Doctor prescribed Sherlock Holmes as a cure to reading too much Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights etc. I find the story predictable, the direction obvious and was able to figure it all out fairly quickly. Vida Winter is a wonderful character as she reveals the truth. You understand why she needs to divulge the secrets she holds. On the other hand  I was not wholly convinced by Margaret. I just found her not as well developed and ...

The Heir of the Night - Helen Lowe Paperback, 452 pages, Published January 1st 2012 by Orbit I had initially picked up the second book in the series and it has taken me some time to find the first book. I was surprised by this book as it is a rich fantasy novel with a detailed world and on the whole well realised characters.  I was swept easily into this tale and it held my interest. Where I struggled with the novel was that too much detail and too much background information that really bogged the story down.  The information that you are given is useful but was it really necessary? I mean there is so much of it. The characters are not bad but because they spend so much time explaining everything they never really develop. This meant that at the end of the book you had the two main protagonists Malian and Kalan riding off into the distance but no sense as to who their enemies really are. The only enemy you have is the Swam of the Dark and you have no idea as to...

The Prague Cemetery - Umberto Eco Translated from the Italian by Richard Dixon, Harvill Secker - London, 440 pages I should know by now having read a couple of Eco's books that I should do some historical research before hand. That way I will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the scale and breadth of the story telling. The Prague Cemetery is a wonderful exploration of 19th century Europe with conspiracies all the rage, our protagonist is central to what is happening as is 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.' A work that was initially given some credibility and then found out to be a forgery. Eco treats us to a fictional exploration of how the work came into being. The writing is truly marvellous and he is able to succinctly capture a person and provide some wonderful insights "leaders with too much charisma should be removed immediately, for the peace and security of the kingdom' or "People are never so completely and enthusiastically evi...

Norwegian Folk Tales Illustrated by Erik Werenskiold and Theodor Kittelsen From the collection of Peter Christen Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe Publisher: Dreyers Forlag, Oslo 1978 I picked up this up at second hand book fair for the bargain price of $2. It was well worth the price and then some. This is a wonderful little hardback of 35 Norwegian Folk tales that are beautifully illustrated. Some of the stories are similar and there is quite a bit of Christian references through them. My favourite tale was 'The Ram and the Pig who went into the woods to live by themselves' which has some wonderful lines such as 'with chat and quack one builds neither house nor shack.' Or m ...more I picked up this up at second hand book fair for the bargain price of $2. It was well worth the price and then some. This is a wonderful little hardback of 35 Norwegian Folk tales that are beautifully illustrated. Some of the stories are similar and there is quite a bit of Christian referenc...

Fungus the Bogeyman - Raymond Briggs Penguin, 35th Anniversary edition Oh Fungus, how I love thee. I remembered this book as a child, as an adult I had to find a copy and I did. The book was more a revelation this time around. Fungus lives an ordinary life, he gets up, gets prepared for work, makes the commute, does his job and wonders what is it all about? That is what I loved this time around, Fungus did not know why he scares people, why he puts boils on them and why he does this day after day. While Fungus tries to figure life out, we are treated to an exploration of his world. We learn the many ways bogeymen relax from fishing to gardening, to drinking at the local pub. We even have a lesson in bogeymen relationships and it is all done with a deft touch of humour. The pictures are fantastic and this is a gem of a book. This book was first produced in 1977 and it really is remarkable for its time. It is not for everyone's taste, I mean you have to be keen on slime, pus and...

Well my reading for the last couple of weeks has been all over the place and I have really struggled to become lost in a book. I have been trying to work my way through 'Forever Amber' by Kathleen Winsor, 'The Grail Enigma' by Laurence Gardner and the one that I am enjoying but can be heavy going is 'Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' by Susan Cain. I find with Cain's book I need some time to think over what she has proposed. I have managed to finish one book being: Mythology by Edith Hamilton This is a great introduction to Greek and Roman Mythology with a little bit of Norse thrown in. If you have never read the source material then this is a good book to start with. Hamilton covers the topics with enthusiasm and you feel confident that she has researched her topics well. If you have read the source material, the book can feel a bit light weight as some of the myths are never explored in great detail. You have an o...

Snake Bite – Christie Thompson Allen and Unwin 2013, 319 pages. First of all just pick this book up and read it. Do not read the blurb at the back, do not get bothered about what genre it fits into, just read it. Why? Thompson has captured a slice of Australia life that is unique and beautifully but brutally revealed on the page. This is a warts and all story, that is fresh and vivid. Jessica (Jez) is 17, closing in on 18 and has finished school for the year. She is stuck in the Canberra suburb of Kambah and life truly does suck. Her mother is an alcoholic, it is a stinking hot summer and there is nothing to do but take drugs, drink and screw. In this chaos of boredom Jez tries to find some meaning to her life. Should she stay in Kambah or move to Melbourne, should she hook up with Lukey or remain friends. Then there is how to deal with being eternally embarrassed by having a fat mother. It is not an easy world that Jez has to navigate. There are characters such as C...

Curse of the Wolf Girl - Martin Millar 2010, Piatkus, 534 pages I have read Millar’s other works and I loved ‘The Good Fairies of New York’ and the first in the wolf girl series ‘Lonely Werewolf Girl’. Both of those works are dazzling and some of the best urban fantasy reading I have ever done. The follow up to ‘Lonely Werewolf Girl’ is somewhat of a disappointment. Picking up from the first novel we see Kalix the teenage werewolf trying to make a normal life, she is attending school and trying to get along with everyone. A series of events bring back into conflict with the clan and with the guild who hunt werewolves. That is about as basic as I can make the story because it is anything but that. The world Millar has created is dense, believable and a wonderfully created. The characters lift off the page and are flawed to perfection. The dialogue is sharp, witty and you are continually engaged in the story. Why was I disappointed with the story? For me, there just see...

James Patterson -  Maximum Ride  'The Angel Experiment' I was looking for a series to get into and I thought I would give Patterson’s young adult series, ‘Maximum Ride’ a go. I had read a few reactions on Goodreads to the first book and they were quite polarising as a real love it or hate it and not much in between. That is what appealed to me and that I had read ‘adult’ Patterson novels and they were enjoyable. It meant I was prepared for the ultra-short chapters that are a hallmark of Patterson but what I was not prepared for was a half-baked idea. So the gist of the story is that Max and her friends (Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge and Angel - who become known as the Flock) having been hiding for two years after they escaped from ‘the school or institute’ where they were the science experiments.  They escaped and have been living a somewhat idyllic life when the ‘Erasers’ (wolf like security guards from the institute) raid the Flock’s hideout and manage to succeed in c...

Bit of catch up time as there is a few reviews I have not got around to posting. So here we go The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (audiobook) Percy is fighting for the survival of everything and everyone in the penultimate finale in the series (or is it?). I have listened to all five books and it has been an interesting experience. The stories are well crafted and well thought out. You can read (or listen) to each story as a standalone and not feel that you missed anything. For fans of the series the ending is somewhat satisfying and that is what counts. I would like to go on about the book but to be honest at the end of it, I was like ‘yep it’s over, isn’t that nice.’ That is pretty sad that after five books I just felt meh about the whole thing. I think for me the whole problem was that Percy became too perfect, the earlier books he had vulnerabilities, made mistakes and in this book his invulnerability made him too wooden for me. I was more interested in the characters ...

The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton I had read one Kate Morton novel previously and I enjoyed the read. This book was in some ways a disappointment. I was all of a quarter through the book and the light bulb went on and I knew exactly where this was going. I am not going to spoil for anyone but for me it was way too obvious. I like Morton's writing style, it is a bit like comfort food as you can wallow yourself in this rather guilty pleasure. The characters are well realised but I just did not find this group as endearing. Laurel was okay and really was just the curious person about the past. I think I felt the present plot line not as engaging as the plot line in the past. I did not really care about Molly's daughters I wanted more of Molly's story. I enjoyed the book, it was good read but it just did not grab me like her previous effort. For more on Kate Morton check out her website .

I have been listening to the books for over a month and the stories are highly engaging. Riordan is clever in throwing in humour at just the rights places, nothing like a flying plastic blue hairbrush to save the day. The world is beautifully created and the characters are developing with each book. Here you can see the threads of the story are beginning to come together and that you know where things are heading. More adventure and more danger is on the way. I have whinged with everyone of thes ...more The Battle of the Labyrinth by Percy Jackson Audio book read by Jesse Bernstein I have been listening to the books for over a month and the stories are highly engaging. Riordan is clever in throwing in humour at just the rights places, nothing like a flying plastic blue hairbrush to save the day. The world is beautifully created and the characters are developing with each book. Here you can see the threads of the story are beginning to come together and that you know where thin...

Sabriel - Garth Nix Allen & Unwin (2003) Sabriel has lived outside of the old Kingdom attending school and when her father goes missing she is drawn back into a world she is just not prepared for. What really lifts this book is Nix's imagination for he has created a stellar and some stellar characters. You really feel drawn into this world with magic being kept at bay by a wall, the threat of death coming over the wall and one young woman who has to risk everything. Sabriel as a character is a lovely mix of headstrong and weak. There are times when she truly doubts herself and her abilities, just like we all do. Yet she finds within herself and from those around her the strength to forge forward. Mogget is a wonderful creation, you are never sure whether to trust him or not and Touchstone, well you have to suspect his story has not been fully revealed. There is wonderful darkness about this novel with magic being used to meddle with death and it is a really clever twist. Do...

Been a bit slack posting so here is a double entry with two vastly different books. Christine – Elizabeth Von Armin A young woman travels to Berlin to improve her ‘fiddling’ skills before the commencement of World War One and through her letters to her mother we witness her hopes, dreams and how they are all shattered as war begins. This is not a long novel about 140 pages but at times it can drag. Really drag. I found the difficulty in the voice of Christine especially when she goes on and on about her relationship with her mother. I know it is a different time, a different age but her attachment to Mother is like being doused in sugar. It is nauseating as she drones on about how close they are, how she is the only one and a lot of the letters are padded out with this waffle. Once you get over the saccharin relationship you begin to see the hatred of Germany.   It starts early with little descriptions such as Berlin described as ‘There is no mystery about it, no atmo...