February 2014
Welcome to Fife’s libraries reader reviews newsletter. All books reviewed in this newsletter are available from Fife’s libraries. To find out which libraries have these books, to make a request or share a review, visit fife.libraries@fife.org.uk/readingroom
What’s New? The Mouseproof Kitchen By Saira Shah The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup Gloria by Kerry Young Books Reviewed this month
Barracuda by Christos Tsiolkas
The Mile by Craig A Smith Emergence of Judy Taylor by Angela Jackson
click on the photo to search our online library catalogue
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope Woman in Black—The Angel of Death by Martyn Waites How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff Longbourn by Jo Baker My Name is...by Alastair Campbell City of Devils by Diana Bretherick Labyrinth by Kate Mosse All editions of Right Guid Read are available on www.fifedirect.org.uk
Reader Reviews The Emergence of Judy Taylor by Angela Jackson This debut novel has all the elements for a right guid read— likeable characters, great plot and a bit of romance thrown in! Judy Taylor is a woman who has been drifting through her life. Her marriage, her relationships with her family and her job are all things that she never gives much thought too and all have become stale. When Judy decides to up sticks and move to Edinburgh to take stock of her life, everyone around her is shocked, but a different Judy emerges from her old life. A lighthearted but absorbing look at relationships from the inside and outside, this is very readable. I think this author is one to watch!
Woman in Black—Angel of Death by Martyn Waites Writing a sequel to Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black was always going to be a very hard act to follow, and I’m not convinced that Martyn Waites has succeeded. The story centres on a group of second world war refugees who come to stay at Eel Marsh House and soon experience the horrors of the house. Susan Hill can create atmosphere and terror so brilliantly , that I found this story a bit disappointing. I wasn’t sitting on the edge of my seat and I didn’t keep looking over my shoulder. It seems to have been written with a film in mind, and I wonder if it might work better on screen. Not my favourite read.
City of Devils by Diana Bretherick Turin in 1887 is the setting for this debut novel by Good Housekeeping new novel competition winner Diana Bretherick. Based on a real person, first criminologist Cesare Lombroso, this book weaves fact and fiction to build an intensely thrilling plot. I liked James Murray, the young Scottish doctor who has come to Turin to study with Lombroso, and finds himself caught up in a series of violent killings and found the parts about early criminology fascinating. A really well written debut, with plenty of suspense and atmosphere, this would be great for fans of C.J.Sansom and Imogen Robertson.
Fife Cultural Trust—Libraries, Arts, Museums & Archives
Reader Reviews My Name is…. By Alastair Campbell A very moving and also very sad story of a teenage girl with an alcohol addiction. Told from the viewpoints of all the people who know her—teachers, parents, uncle and aunt, sisters and friends, it is only when you reach the last chapter of the book that you hear from Hannah herself, and find out how and why she needs drink to get her through daily life. Compelling and disturbing, frightening and uplifting, this isn’t an easy read but definitely worthwhile reading. I felt by the end of it that I understood Hannah’s predicaments and wanted her to be more than just someone labeled as a girl who ‘likes a drink’.
Longbourn by Jo Baker This is Pride and Prejudice but told from the servants’ point of view, instead of through the eyes of the Bennetts. The whole plot revolves around life below stairs and the trials and tribulations of the servants who keep the Bennett household running. Only occasional glimpses of the Bennett girls are given, and instead the reader empathizes with the harshness of the domestic servants’ lives. I loved this book—it was instantly enjoyable and I devoured it, reading it over a weekend. A treat for readers of period drama, this will get you looking at Mr Darcy in a whole new way! This title also available as a talking book
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff This reminded me a bit of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road in that it portrays a world in which something so awful has happened, that life as we know it has ceased to function. However, this book is aimed at a teenage audience so the harsh realities of war and what it leaves behind are maybe softened a bit by the romance between the two teen characters, Daisy and Edmond. Despite being aimed at teens, I really loved this book. Easily read and totally absorbing, the balance between the scenes or war and the romantic interludes was very well done and I found the characters believable and likeable. Apparently this has been made into a film which I’m looking forward to seeing…hoping it’s as good as the book! This title also available as a talking book
Reader Reviews
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse Wow! I’d describe this as the Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones! Fast moving, historical mystery and drama, with a timeslip element thrown in, this is a pacy thriller with such a depth of historical background thrown in that you begin to forget was is real and what is fiction. I loved the jumps from medieval to modern settings and the way the story was very cleverly woven between the different eras. You do need to pay attention though, one slip of concentration and you forget who’s who and what century you are in—otherwise, I would totally recommend this as something to take on holiday and escape into. This title also available as a talking book
The Mile by Craig A Smith With the whole Scottish independence question looming large in everyone’s minds at the moment, I picked up this book which is set in Edinburgh, interested to hear the fictional take on the whole debate. However, although easily read, this debut novel, which features three drinking buddies who meet up with a elderly gentleman, who wears the obligatory tartan trews, was a bit too clichéd for my liking. One of the characters even had to sport red hair and a wild red beard! It is meant to be lighthearted, but I thought it farcical in parts and the picture it painted of Scotland, not an attractive one. But don’t take my word for it—give it a try and see what you think!
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope This book is one of a series of Jane Austen’s classic novels that have been given a modern twist and have been rewritten by best selling authors as part of The Austen project. I had not read the original version of this novel but loved Joanna Trollope’s retelling of the story. I found it very accessible, a modern romantic tale with entertaining and endearing characters . If you have tried reading Austen and struggled with the language then I would give this a try—I read it almost in one sitting and am looking forward to the next reworked Austen book to be published, Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid.
New Titles The Mouseproof Kitchen by Saira Shah Anna knows that if you want something really badly, you have to plan it. After all, she’s a chef. To make a béchamel sauce, you need the right ingredients in the right quantities, at the right time. So when she gets pregnant, she plans a perfect new life in Provence for her perfect new baby. But Anna and Tobias are plunged into every new parent’s nightmare, as they learn that their daughter Freya has been born with profound mental and physical disabilities.
The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup What would you do if, out of the blue, a billionaire industrialist decided to make you the CEO of his company? No prior business experience necessary. There is only one catch: you need to pass seven tests from the 'textbook of life'. This is the offer made to Sapna Sinha, an ordinary salesgirl in an electronics boutique in downtown Delhi, by Vinay Mohan Acharya, one of India's richest men. Thus begins the most challenging journey of Sapna's life, one that will test her character, her courage and her capabilities. Along the way she encounters a host of memorable personalities, from a vain Bollywood superstar to a kleptomaniac Gandhian. This title also available in large print.
Gloria by Kerry Young Jamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act changes her life for ever. Gloria and her younger sister flee their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. As all around them the city convulses with political change, Gloria’s desperation and striking beauty lead her to Sybil and Beryl, and a house of ill repute where she meets young Pao, a Kingston racketeer whose destiny becomes irresistibly bound with her own. Set against the turbulent backdrop of a country on the cusp of a new era, this is an enthralling and illuminating story of love and redemption.
Barracuda by Christos Tsiolkas Barracuda is the brilliant new novel from the author of the bestseller The Slap. Daniel Kelly, a talented young swimmer, has one chance to escape his working-class upbringing. His astonishing ability in the pool should drive him to fame and fortune, as well as his revenge on the rich boys at the private school to which he has won a sports scholarship. Everything Danny has ever done, every sacrifice his family has ever made, has been in pursuit of his dream. But when he melts down at his first big international championship and comes only fifth, he begins to destroy everything he has fought for and turn on everyone around him. Tender and savage, this is a novel about dreams and disillusionment, friendship and family.