1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

Goodreads Blurb

Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell's narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.

My Review - Doubleplusgood

Having finally read this classic it was not what I had expected, however I don’t know what I really expected and yet in some ways it was not unexpected…… (a case of snippets being used and abused through the years by the media).  What did come as a pleasant surprise was the darn good storyline within the Big Brother, Room 101 etc scenario.

This is an amazing piece of writing given it was published in 1949, the similarities with things around today are quite fascinating/unsettling.  Orwell creates a bleak, very atmospheric world and the main protagonist, Winston Smith, was very believable - I was gripped by his plight from the first page.

Be warned it is very violent in parts. 

The Magic Cottage - James Herbert

Amazon Blurb

A cottage was found in the heart of the forest. It was charming, maybe a little run-down, but so peaceful--a magical haven for creativity and love. But the cottage had an alternative side--the bad magic. What happened there was horrendous beyond belief.

My Review

This started out as a nice ‘magical’ story of a couple moving into their dream cottage.  After you get comfortable strange occurrence’s begin, leading to a crescendo of magic, fear and evil.  I don’t recommend reading this in the middle of the night with low lighting…..scary.  I kept sneaking looks into the shadows……

A real page turner.  A few twists and turns, although I had suspected them it did not ruin my enjoyment.  This is the first James Herbert novel I have read (by recommendation) and was surprised and how readable it was (not full on horror as I would have expected from Herbert).  I would read more of his work in the future.

The Blue Cabin - Michael Faulkner

Goodreads Blurb

In 2002, following the collapse of his business and the loss of his family home, Mike Faulkner and his wife Lynn McGregor left Scotland for a cabin on Islandmore, an uninhabited island in Northern Ireland. Familiar to Mike as the haven where he'd spent holidays with his father - the last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland - and the rest of his family, moving there to live year-round was a different prospect. With no electricity, an erratic water supply and access to the mainland only possible by boat, life on Islandmore is one part catastrophe to three parts idyll. The result is a book imbued with sense of place; an honest, often funny, and moving account of one couple and two dogs living an uncomplicated life.

MY REVIEW

I read this book in one sitting and it was a little gem of a book, what a delightful way to spend my day.  Having recently visited a restaurant overlooking the lough Michael Faulkner just transported me back there.  It is a beautiful part of the country and I envy his Island hide away. 

Michael is a great story teller, the book being full of anecdotes recounting his first few years on the Island with his wife Lynn and their two dogs with glimpses into his early life, accentuated throughout with lovely little drawings and pictures.
  

It is a wonderful insight into an unusual life choice (albeit initially due to their financial circumstances) and full of interesting people.  It almost makes one long for ‘the good life’ regardless of the pitfalls.  It was a very enjoyable read, it made me smile, sometimes cry and often laugh out loud.

If you want an uplifting read this one is sure to hit the spot. 

I look forward to reading the sequel - Still on the Sound

For updates from the Island visit - http://www.thebluecabin.blogspot.com

Before I Go To Sleep - S J Watson

Goodreads Blurb

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.

MY REVIEW

I read this in a few sittings, couldn’t put it down for the last half and ended up reading until the early hours of the morning.  The idea of waking in the morning believing you are in your twenties or younger only to discover that you are forty seven years old and have to spend each morning trying to piece together your life, knowing that you will forget it all again when you go to sleep, is a scary senario used to great effect in this psychological  thriller.  The author draws you in to the drama using the main protagonist Christine’s perspective.  Her missing years are revealed slowly in tantalising snippits, the reader piecing together the story at the same time as Christine, sharing her fears, doubts and uncertainties leading to the final outcome which didn’t come as a complete surprise but was none the less riviting.  A very engrossing, enjoyable read.

 

Recommended Reading

Briefs Encountered

Amazon Official Brief (sorry had to throw that in)

Noel Coward meets Julian Clary in this dark and wickedly funny ghost story!

Goodreads Blurb
Whoever said the afterlife would be easy?
Noel Coward is the toast of twenties society..... A brilliant playwright, composer and entertainer whose witty songs and pithy lines don't quite tell the full story. Goldenhurst, his house in Kent, England, provides a place where he can be himself and more importantly where he can be with his lover, Jack, without fear of arrest or judgement....
But their romantic idyll is ruined, first by the arrival of Noel's demanding relatives and then a mysterious death...

Many years later, film star and Coward fan Richard Stent buys the house from it's current owner. But Richard has problems of his own. Goldenhurst is supposed to be a respite from all is worries but this is a house with a very rich and not always pleasant history and more than one thing is about to go bump in the night...
A haunting tale of love, obsession and a house full of spirits, not all of them blithe...

MY REVIEW

Enjoyable little romp around a cottage in England, with two main protagonists, Noel (Coward) and Richard.  It was easy enough to imagine Noel’s voice and mannerisms in my head when reading his sections of the story but It took a little while to get Julian Clary’s voice out of my head when reading Richard’s sections, not helped by Julian’s name on every other page.  Once I had a well known 50ish Gay (but not camp) Holywood actor in my head I was able to push Julian aside. 

That being said I really did enjoy the premise of the story set over two time periods and revolving around the lives and loves of the two successful thespians and a house with a character all of it’s own.  Not to mention Julian popping in now and then sending himself up as only he can.  Oh and a few ghosts.     

As you would expect from Julian it is full of double entendres. Although there is sexual activity it isn’t overly explicit and romance features strongly.  Julian has produced a clever little ‘play’ in and around the central character (the house), this could easily translate to the stage in Noel Coward tradition.  The action really heats up towards the end with a few unexpected (to this reader) twists and turns.  I found it humorous and full of wit and would recommend this as a light entertaining read.  I would certainly read more of his work.   

          

Reflection - Jessica Roberts

Amazon Blurb

Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.

But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten.

Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.

And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?

MY REVIEW

Interesting concept. The story is told as the protagonist, Heather, recounts the life she lived whilst in a coma to a doctor.  Although it was an easy, interesting read I found the romance too long and drawn out, for me it swamped what could have been a very good novel.  I do however think it would appeal very much to young adults.

BookClub Selection

My turn to host the next meeting (13 April) of our very informal Book Club.  The books I have selected to choose from are:

The Blue Cabin - Michael Faulkner  :  Fact based novel of life on an Island in Strangford Lough

VIII - H M Castor  :  A different take on Henry VIII

Please Look After My Mother - Kyung-Sook Shin  :  The disappearance of a Korean mother.

War Horse - Michael Morpurgo  :  Told from the Horse's point of view (See Review)

Briefs Encountered - Julian Clary :  A little light fun read/ Noel Coward -  Ghost???

WHICH WILL WE CHOOSE?????

War Horse - Michael Morpurgo

Official Blurb

This book recounts the adventures of a horse as he moves from life on a farm into the battles of World War I, the story of a friendship lasting through the toughest of tests.

Through the eyes of the war horse, Joey, Michael Morpurgo tells this moving and powerful story of survival on the Western Front.

Runner-up for the Whitbread Award. 

PS   Don't read Amazon's offical synopsis - it reveals too much of the story.

My Review

Beautiful naïve writing makes this an easy, enjoyable read.  I loved the way the story is simply and sensitively told from the viewpoint of Joey ‘the warhorse’ - should be sold with a box of tissues.  Joey’s story is compelling from the outset and my tears were falling from the second page – It’s not all sad tears though.  I was caring and rooting for Joey from page one.  Although Michael Murpogo writes economically he easily managed to evoke an emotional response from this reader at every turn.  It is unashamedly sentimental at times but in balance it is frank about the horrors of war from Joey's perspective without being gruesome.  I look forward to reading more of his work.

I can see why this was chosen to be made into a movie, the writing evokes visual scenes easily adapted for the cinema.  I look forward to seeing Spielberg’s interpretation. 

 

Recommended read for all ages.