Lemon_sherbert's 50 book challenge!

lemon_sherbert

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

So instead of going out and socialising with the world today, I've been lying in the garden reading, and this book was just perfect for it. A story told by a ninety-eight year old, looking back on her days as a housemaid in a stately home in England.

I engaged with the plot immediately, and enjoyed the book immensely. It reminded me a little of Du Maurier's Rebecca, though not as beautifully executed. But the book was an acheivement, and I found it astounding to think that a world so different from our own is not so far away as we think.

A nice escapist read for a day.

It's a 4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant

A novel set in the early to mid nineteenth century in tiny village on the East coast of America. The book charts the dying community, following each of the characters as they live their lives, moving to more urban areas, to escape the desolation imposed by the barren isolated landscape of Dogtown.

It's an interesting book, certainly some of the stories resonate today, but it didn't quite grip me as much as it could have, I think. The characters are the book's heart, and I thought sometimes their backstories weren't explored enough, as they were hinting at very interesting issues, of poverty and children sold into bonded labour, of slaves who remembered Africa.

It's a solid 3/5

lemon_sherbert

Temptation by Douglas Kennedy

I was anticipating this to be a bit of light fluff for diversion, but this story of a TV-writer catapulted into success, and whose life is turned upside down by meeting a reclusive billionaire/failed director, wasn't really harmless enough to be called fluff.

I took an instant dislike to the main character, who professes his ambition in life to be to be rich, and is a completely superficial and pretentious man. I didn't stop disliking him when his life imploded, either, nor did I feel sorry for him. But I suppose it did keep me hooked.

A 2/5

lemon_sherbert

Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor

This was a real masterpiece, a truly excellent read. It's set in 1847, on a ship to New York, and the lives of passengers in the First Class and Steerage. It was very poignant, and gave an interesting insight into an area of history I used to know quite a bit about, but seem to have forgotten quite a bit. It made me regret a little that I don't have stronger ties to Irish culture.

A 4.5/5

lemon_sherbert

Dawnthief by James Barclay

Fairly traditional heroic fantasy; team of mercenaries named the Raven set off to cast the ultimate magic spell to banish the evil Witch Lords.

It's a good book, funny and the action is fairly good. Not excellent, but good.

It's a 3/5

lemon_sherbert

A Special Providence by Richard Yates

This is as close to a perfect book I have read. It's the story of a mother and son, their complex relationship and how their pasts have shaped their identities.

The characters were so real I felt I knew them intimately. They're both deeply flawed, engaging and fascinating. The depiction of war was very affecting, and the vulnerability of the characters very poignant.

It's a 5/5

lemon_sherbert

Noonshade by James Barclay

The second of the Chronicles of the Raven Trilogy, this wasn't really my cup of tea. The Raven soldiers set off to deal with the consequences of their actions in the last book, and encounter the usual bumps along the way.

Though the writing style is fairly funny, there were a number of things I just couldn't engage with. I never really like dragons in fantasy books, and the characters' emotional states were incredibly unbelievable. After much effort was made to describe the despair and hopelessness certain characters reformed without explanation, and seemed to forget their grief with the turn of a page, without any resolution to be seen.

I bought the trilogy all at once, so I probably will get around to reading the last one, but for now it's a 2/5

lemon_sherbert

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie

This was a phenomenal novel, set in the Nigeria-Biafra war of the late 1960s, telling the story of two sisters, their lovers and a houseboy and the turmoil they are pulled into when war breaks out.

The book is very moving, and I really found myself very attached to the characters. It's a very emotional portrayal of the individual consequences of war, the helplessness and grief.

It's a 5/5.

lemon_sherbert

A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler's books are always wonderful, she's a very talented author, and her characters really come to life. This is the best of hers I've read in a while. The development of the main character was very interesting.

This is the story of Barnaby Gaitlin, who in the shadow of a wealthy philanthropic family, a failed marriage and a seemingly dead-end job, seems to be merely passing time, awaiting the fabled angel who visits each member of his family before they become successful. Barnaby is very likeable, insecure and isolating himself to protect himself. Tyler as always does great things with a disfunctional family.

5/5

lemon_sherbert

Legend by David Gemmell

This was an outstanding piece of work. A pinnacle battle approaches between the Nadir warriors and a vital outpost of the ancient Drenai civilisation. The earl of the outpost dies, and writes to a renowned old warrior, Druss the Legend, to come to his rescue. There are parallel stories running throughout, each of the character's motivations and circumstances are given time without weighing down the narrative. Some fantastic characters.

It's funny, tragic, exciting, romantic, dramatic.... it's got everything really. The only thing that bothered me a little was the portrayal of women in the story, seeming to content with a subservient role. But forgiveable due to the other merits of the story.

A 4.5/5

lemon_sherbert

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

As with all Atwood's books that I have read thusfar, this is a simply beautiful piece of writing. It's the fictionalised retelling of the life of a notorious Canadian murderess, Grace Marks, in the 1840s-60s.

In a bout of insomnia, I read nearly all of it in one sitting, and was glad of the distraction. The story flows along at a steady pace, the predominant voice was Grace's storytelling, and her language and distinctive observances made the character come alive.

It's a 5/5 (I've had a run of very good books recently!)

lemon_sherbert

the Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I picked this up on a whim really, thinking I'd like it as I used to read Agatha Christie when i was younger. It's a Sherlock Holmes mystery tale, about the haunting legacy of an ancient family. To say much more would give too much away.

It took me a while to get into the story, though it was a good one. I felt sorry for Dr Watson the whole way through though, it seemed as if he got a lot of the hard work and not much of the credit. Anyhow, it was fairly good.

A 3/5

lemon_sherbert

Good Harbour by Anita Diamant

This I read in three hours last night, when I couldn't sleep. It's the story of two friends, Joyce and Kathleen, each facing their own personal problems, and how thier friendship helps them get through it all. A nice book, about the dynamics of family life, a female friendship.

Good read to pass the time, though not as enjoyable as The Red Tent.

4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Macon Leary finds himself falling apart after the death of his son, and his wife leaving him. But rather than admit this to himself, he becomes obsessed with routine and efficiency. He washes his clothes in the shower as he bathes to save water, he eats as little as possible, he rips up his sheets and sews them into a shape that gives him a clean bed every night. It was very sad to read the beginning of this book, because this vision of a broken man, his eccentricities multiplied into debilitating faults.

The book is about a lot of things, coming to term with grief, change, re-inventing yourself, how love can change you. It was eloquent and beautiful.

A 4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins

This is one hell of a long book, and tough going at times. It's the story of evolution, told through the ancestors of human kind, travelling backwards in time. My favourite parts of the book were the explanations of human characteristics, the explanations for their survival in natural selection. As it went further back in time, and it started into nemotodes and bacteria, I felt my interest wandering.

I definitely didn't understand everything, but I learnt a lot from this book. Dawkins writes well, very accessible for someone with no knowledge of biology. I got a little sick of his rants on creationism, but other than that, a very good book.

3.5/5

lemon_sherbert

Back When we were Grown-ups by Anne Tyler

Another of Tyler's books, I read it last night. This is the story of Rebecca Davitch, a mother, stepmother, grandmother, widow, who realises one day that her life is not what she intended. It's a very interesting story, with a varied host of characters. It's Tyler's usual skilled portrayal of simple human truth that makes the book great. The complicated relationships, the insecurities, the disfunction.

It's a 4/5

lemon_sherbert

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Since fate seemed to have decided that I am never going to sleep again, I read this all last night. It's primarily the story of Stephen Wraysford, a young man who initially travels to France to learn the textile industry, and later fights at the heart of WW1. The writing is very poignant, and provokes a real honest emotional response.

The ending was a little schmalzy, but other than that, a very good read.

4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Man who mistook his wife for a hat by Oliver Sacks

This was a lot more technical than I had anticipated. It's a number of case studies of patients of Sack's who had unusual brain abnormalities. He writes well, and I certainly learned a lot, but at the same timem I think I should have read something more introductory first.

What was very moving was the way he told the personal stories of the patients, but I don't think I enjoyed it enough from a layman perspective. I might read it again someday, with a bit more knowledge on my side.

It's a 3/5

lemon_sherbert

Mothers and Sons by Colm Tóibín

This is a collection of short stories, all on the theme of mother/son relationships. I really liked the Irish settings, the recognisable characters from Irish society. Some of the stories were excellent, particularly the final story, set in Franco era Spain.

It's a 3/5

lemon_sherbert

Okay, so I reached 50, but for now I think I'll continue on with the log.

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

This is the story of an aging man, with an adulterous wife, unhappy gay son and daughter about to marry. He suffers from increasing anxiety and mental illness. It's sad, yet funny at the same time. Equally well explored are the relationships of the children with their respective partners. There's definitely a sense of unease as you wait to see how George, the central character will behave.

A 4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Immigrant By Manju Kapur

Described on the jacket as the story of a marriage, but that wasn't really what the main sense of the story was to me. Nina, 30 years old, reluctantly enters into an arranged marriage, leaves India and moves to Canada to live with her husband, who has been living there for ~7 years. What I liked about the book was the way each acclimatised to a new culture, and despite all efforts, lost something of themselves to the west. It was quite sad, as each has very different expectations of the marriage. Some of it was quite strange too...

3/5

lemon_sherbert

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

When Isabel Archer arrives in England, she is virtually penniless, an orphan, having been 'taken up' by her aunt to travel Europe. Constantly pursued by all sorts of worthy men, it is not till she comes into a fortune that she is successfully courted. Unfortunately, by the wrong man. This book is incredibly tragic, I really expect the turn of events, I felt a real sense of regret as the story progressed; I expect because I related so much to Isabel. Her pride and stubborness, her naivety - all conspire against her.

Tragic, but beautifully written
4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Liesel, the child of a communist, is fostered by the Hubermann family in the heart of Nazi Germany. Though deeply troubled by memories of her past, the wretched poverty in which she lives, Liesel is a wonderful spark of light in the lives she touches. And she steals books.

Written in a phenomenally beautiful way, uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, this book is the best I've read in a long time, including everything I've logged so far.

5/5

lemon_sherbert

Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

I was fairly disappointed by this book, it just didn't click with me, mainly because I didn't like either of the two principal characters. So I'm not really going to bother with this review.

2/5

lemon_sherbert

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

This is a funny little novel, about the Queen taking up reading. It really made me laugh. A good book for people who like books. Silly but amusing.

Though I did get a sense it was all building up to a punchline.

4/5

lemon_sherbert

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

This was a phenomenal read, the story of Calliope, raised as a girl until a teenager, when Cal realises he is a boy. It is of course more complicated than that. It's a book about identity, family, charting one family's complicated history over three generations.

In short, I loved it.
5/5

lemon_sherbert

Howard's End by EM Forster

The story of the Schlegel family, as their lives intertwine with the Wilcox and their home in Howards End. I liked this, nice story, not predictable at all, but not terribly gripping either. A nice read anyway, entertaining enough.

3/5

lemon_sherbert

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The film is probably more famous than the book, but it is well worth a read. The story of two sisters; Celie, assaulted by her father, her children taken from her, married off to a cruel man, and Nettie, her younger sister, who follows these children to Africa with their adoptive parents. It is a very sad story of the hardships these women endured, and how they yet found consolation and love in a cruel world. The style is interesting, mostly as Celie writes letters to God, or Nettie writing letters to Celie. The language is very broken English, which is a little disconcerting at first, but I became used to it fairly quickly. Then it creates a very distinctive voice for the central narrator.

4/5

lemon_sherbert

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

This is a sort of retrospective of an artist's life - the most striking aspects are the tales of her childhood and adolescence, tormented in the way only little girls know how. A story of womanhood, the shaping a life can take from the traumas of childhood, the transformation from victim to bully.

Very interesting, beautifully written.

4/5

lemon_sherbert

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Well, finally got round to reading this after being repeatedly told to. Eventually it was pressed into my hands, so I felt I had no choice. It's a silly teen novel really, not so bad for a first novel. The story was compelling enough, but the whole book is just a bit too obvious. The main character is Bella Swan, a bookish sort who doesn't like dancing and believes she is not beautiful. She falls in love with rakishly handsome vampire Edward. Disaster ensues. The style of writing bothered me a little, a tendency for cliche. The inevitable Harry Potter and Anne Rice comparisons make the novel seem inferior.

Had I read it a few years ago, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Though it can't be denied, I did read it in one day.

3/5