Book Review: The Greatest Love Story Of All Time

Fantastic review today courtesy of new guest-blogger Sam!

 The Greatest Love Story of All Time by Lucy Robinson.

The blurb: It’s Fran’s thirtieth birthday and things are good . . .
She’s bluffed her way into a Very Posh Job and her outlandishly handsome and talented boyfriend Michael is escorting her to the Ritz with a bulge the shape of a ring box in his pocket.
But something has gone wrong. Very wrong. By the end of the evening Fran is howling in bed with a bottle of cheap brandy and one of Michael’s old socks.
In her quest to figure out why her life has suddenly gone down the pan, Fran comes up with a failsafe plan: live like a badger, stalk a stranger called Nellie and cancel her beloved Gin Thursdays in favour of drinking gin every night. But then Fran’s friends force a very different plan on her and it’s nowhere near as fun. How could eight dates possibly make her feel better?
But eventually she agrees. And so begins the greatest love story of all time . . .

Sam’s review: I’m just going to start by saying that I didn’t really have any expectations when I started reading this book. The book is a debut and I actually didn’t do any research on who the author is and what’s she’s about until about 5 minutes ago, I don’t think I even read the author biography. Turns out she works in theatre and television production and then some documentary about internet dating was made about her and she has a blog on Marie Claire. She’s also apparently produced Pramface for the BBC, I haven’t actually seen it but I’ve heard good things about it.

Anyway, back to the book. It’s bloody brilliant. Absolutely laugh out loud can’t put it down (and any other cliché you would like to add in here) brilliant. It’s clever, funny, witty and one of the best chick-lit books I’ve read in a long time…and I do read ‘quite’ a lot. The characters are very well-written; Fran is a bit hopeless and at one point I did think the book was heading in a slightly irritating direction when she engineers a meeting with her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend at a meditation class…but luckily that turned out to be short lived. Another character who is fantastically written is Stefania, Fran’s crazy not-sure-which-bit-of-the-Eastern-Block-she-comes-from next door neighbour. She is probably the one who made me laugh the most, her dialogue was hilarious and some of her mixed metaphors were inspired. The plot wasn’t too contrived and, although I did kind of guess what was going to happen in one aspect of the story, there were a few twists and turns in the final quarter of the book to keep you on your toes and guessing to the end.

I think there’s just one thing that disappoints me about the book, and that’s the cover. It’s a little tame to be honest. For me, this book is where chick-lit is headed, gone are the days of the fluffy books about shopping and handbags and frustrating silly girls who run up mountains of credit card debt; here is a funny, sweary (there is A LOT of colourful language by the way, not for you if you don’t like that sort of thing), contemporary novel and I just think that the cover could reflect that a bit more, it could be a bit more edgy and new. I saw an early proof copy of the book and, even though it was just text, it did reflect the book a bit better as it had a slightly crazy edge to it, compared to that, the finished one is rather sedate. Also, just another quick thing to mention – there’s a book trailer on her website, that too is, well, not the best and I’m not sure it would make me want to read the book.

However, aside from the jacket (which is a little worrying as that’s the reason most people pick up a book in the first place…) and trailer, I literally couldn’t recommend this book highly enough. If you’re a fan of authors such as Jenny Colgan, Sarra Manning or Fiona Neill (Slummy Mummy though, not the new one) then you are in for an absolute treat! Her next one is currently snappily entitled The Book with No Name…Yet, and I for one, can’t wait.

9 out of 10 stars! *********

BUY ME! The Greatest Love Story of All Time

Book Review: In Office Hours

In Office Hours by Lucy Kellaway

The blurb: Stella Bradberry and Bella Chambers work at the same high-achieving, high-end London firm. Bella is a pretty, young single mum, but an assistant to men with half her smarts. Stella, a go-getting, multi-tasking mother of two, has a seat on the board firmly in her sights.

But then these two sharp, intelligent women do something rash: they embark on affairs with male colleagues they wouldn’t look twice at outside work. Suddenly, both are telling lies to friends, loved ones and workmates. In the grip of passions they cannot, nor wish to, control, they carelessly break all the rules, sabotaging friendships and careers.

They’ve risked their livelihoods for love. But ending an affair is always harder than beginning one . . .

My review: I am struggling with this book to find something nice to say, the characters are for me almost 100% vile. Bar Bella, who I like but wish had a little more integrity.

Right so from a less passionate point of view. i have read this for our book club and I can see why it’s a seminal book in the women’s fiction genre, it’s clever, intense and causes a strong reaction with almost everyone who reads it. It’s like watching a car crash, you want to look away but you don’t want too but in the end I had too. It was too much. Unlike other books that have that ‘don’t do it’ edge to them, for instance The Mistress’s Revenge where I didn’t dare not watch the events unfold, this book became so distasteful, primarily due to a lack of connection with the characters, that I dreaded having to pick it up. I felt genuinely depressed after every read. The characters dependency on each other was nauseating and I really wanted there to be a strong woman in it, that didn’t feel worthless.

So whilst I can appreciate the cleverness in creating such a strong reaction for me I don’t read to be depressed. There were no glimmers of happiness here.

2 out of 10 stars **

The Girl on the Cliff

The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley

The blurb: Could a secret from 1914 end a century of heartache?

A tiny figure stands at the cliff edge – hair flying in the breeze. Grania Ryan is hypnotised by the enchanting vision, unaware this young girl, Aurora Lisle, will change her life in countless ways. For Grania is suffering and has returned to Ireland and the arms of her loving family, in the hope her wounds might heal.

As their paths begin to entwine, Grania’s mother becomes deeply troubled … because almost a century of entanglement has brought nothing but terrible tragedy to their two families.

The past is set to repeat its sorrows. A suitcase hidden in the attic of a magnificent house in London during the First World War is where it all began, but could it now hold the key to ending the heartbreak that has beset the Lisles and the Ryans for so long?

My review: I start this review with a sinking heart as I never like to discourage readers from books let alone not finish them myself. However the latter definitely applies here.

In the spirit of honesty I only read half of this book. I just couldn’t continue. In my opinion it was poorly written, the Irish dialect came across as cheesey, stereotypes abounded and the storyline was unbelievable. I am probably not the audience for this book, I can see how it would appeal and I’ll end here as the saying goes: ‘If you have nothing good to say…’

3 out of 10 stars ***

The Anatomy of Ghosts

The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor

The blurb:  1786, Jerusalem College, Cambridge.

The ghost of murdered Sylvia Whichcote has been sighted prowling the grounds by Frank Oldershaw, a disturbed fellow commoner. When his anxious mother employs John Holdsworth, author of The Anatomy of Ghosts – a stinging account of why ghosts are mere delusion – to investigate the sighting, the uneasy status quo at Jerusalem is rapidly torn apart.

Holdsworth grows to realise that the sinister Holy Ghost Club governs the privileged life at Jerusalem with a rigour far more effective than anything the Master, Dr Carbury, could muster. And when Holdsworth finds himself haunted – not only by the ghost of his dead wife, Maria, but also Elinor, the very-much-alive Master’s wife – his fate is sealed. He must unravel the circumstances surrounding Sylvia’s death … or the hauntings will continue.

My review: I loooved this book! First a disclaimer, this is an incredibly hard book to read if you have a short commute! It takes me twenty minutes to get to work and I was struggling to get into this book, there are slightly complicated names, many characters (it seems to begin with) and locations so I really recommend taking an hour, or less and really absorbing this book, it requires your full attention and deservedly so!

Andrew Taylor paints a vivid picture of 18th Century Cambridge with the environs and historic buildings of that illustrious university. The characters are well drawn,  John Holdsworth especially so and the antics of the Holy Ghost Club are cleverly worked. Two villains roam this piece and although it’s clear who’s to blame from the start there are twists and meanderings that keep you hooked until the last page!

The historical detail in many a book can overwhelm the narrative, not so here, just the right amount to set the tone and flavour of a fantastic historical crime novel. I’ll definitely be reading more of Andrew Taylor!

7.5 out of 10 stars! *******.5

One Book, Two Book, Three Book, Four… and Five!

Whilst browsing the net I happened upon Stuck in a Book, I love book blogs with good recommendations and found the proprietor Stuart had created a cool little meme for bloggers to follow, so here below is my entry!

1.) The Book I’m Currently Reading:

The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor, and I love it! I can’t put it down, I find myself wishing my commute was longer so I could spend more time reading it. Definitely a book you need to devote yourself too but worth it, review on the way!

2.) The Last Book I Finished:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald And you can read the review below!

3.) The Next Book I Want To Read:

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore  I bought this a month ago and it’s sitting next to my bed crying out to be read. I can’t quite believe I haven’t gotten round to this yet, perhaps I’m waiting for a long weekend of nothing to devote to it. Who knows! I know I can’t wait to get started!

4.) The Last Book I Bought:

The Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell about a hour ago on Amazon. I’ve bought a lot of books recently for my approaching holiday and this looks so beautiful. I thought I should finally give in and buy a copy.

5.) The Last Book I Was Given:

The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley, the lovely Helen at Penguin sent me this, I’ve been hearing good things about it from other bloggers so it’s high on my to be read pile!

Jacket Musings… (3)

This is something I have recently stumbled across. I was waiting for the Cee Liddy book to be published because I loved the cover so much that I just wanted to stare and stare at it. I loved the sad looking frog and his little crown, the font on the cover, the colours everything. It screamed brilliant chick-lit. Now there appears to be a new cover on the book I had popped into my Amazon Wish List, the one on the right with the graphic man and woman. I did a double take as I couldnt remember adding this to my Wish List, and it really doesn’t appeal to me now. So my musing is, how just a cover look when all you have online sometimes is a fleeting glance, is enough to change your mind about a book. I will endeavour to buy the one I like best!

 

 

A Tiny Bit Marvellous

A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French

The blurb: Everyone hates the perfect family. So you’ll love the Battles.

Mo is about to hit the big 50, and some uncomfortable truths are becoming quite apparent:
She doesn’t understand either of her teenage kids, which as a child psychologist, is fairly embarrassing. She has become entirely grey. Inside, and out. Her face has surrendered and is frightening children.
Dora is about to hit the big 18 . . . and about to hit anyone who annoys her, especially her precocious younger brother Peter who has a chronic Oscar Wilde fixation.

Then there’s Dad . . . who’s just, well, dad.

A TINY BIT MARVELLOUS is the story of a modern family all living in their own separate bubbles lurching towards meltdown. It is for anyone who has ever shared a home with that weird group of strangers we call relations.
Oh and there’s a dog. Called Poo.

My review: A Tiny Bit Marvellous is just that. This book has an excellent cover and an author attached to it who is, in my humble opinion, one of the funniest comedienne’s the UK has ever produced. However it did take me a while to warm to the Battle’s.

The book is structured in first person segments, journal entries primarily from Mo (mother) Dora (teenage daughter) and Oscar/Peter (teenage son) they are short chapters with big spacing, there’s something about reading a book that’s primarily narrated that makes it easy going, it only took me a day to read.
I think my main issue is that I found it hard to relate to the characters. The kind of humour that works here is situational where you can imagine the events happening to yourself or someone you know, Mo in particular didn’t have enough of a glimmer of likeability in the first half of the book to make me care about her at all, and she was very hard to relate to. But this might be an age thing, there are many references to her approaching her 50th year, and the anecdotes that go with it pertain to that. So I may be in the wrong demographic.

However by the second half the book really got into its stride. Nana Pamela was a particular favourite. I also loved Oscar and with his entries were my first laugh out loud moments. They were told with such panache and fantastic timing that I would read them again, just to savour those genius moments. This is comfortable reading. All in all it’s a lovely book, not one that I want to sing from the rooftops about but one that I would happily pass on to a friend, safe in the knowledge they would be entertained.

6.5 out of 10 stars! ******.5

The Little Women Letters

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
The blurb: When Josephine March’s great-great-granddaughter stumbles across her letters, the Little Women shed a glorious light on a new generation of sisters.

The Atwaters are a loving, sprawling mess of a family and Fee’s three daughters, Emma, Lulu and Sophie couldn’t be less alike if they tried. Emma is planning her wedding, Sophie is an up-and-coming actress, but Lulu – the cleverest of them all – is more than a little lost. If life is for living, why is she stuck in a series of dead-end jobs?

Grandma Jo’s letters had been gathering dust in the attic for decades, but when Lulu gets her hands on them, everything seems to change and different worlds begin to open up. And even though dark family secrets emerge, Jo’s words offer comfort and guidance across the centuries.

Sometimes family is all that matters. And sisters are the closest friends you can find.

My review: Wow. This was absolutely fantastic. It left me feeling all happy and squishy inside. The Little Women Letters follows three sisters, Emma, Lulu and Sophie who live in Islington and behave as all sisters should. I have a sister I know! They borrow each others clothes, laugh at each other, criticise and tease but fundamentally love and cherish the relationships they have.

This is a real feel good book, if you’ve read Louisa M Alcott’s Little Women and loved it as much as I did then this can’t fail to enchant you. Gabrielle Donnelly captures Jo March perfectly in her letters to her sisters Meg, Beth and Amy and it’s fascinating and lovely to have more of the March sisters.

As the book progresses the focus swaps from each sister, their lives, their loves and worries and you get a real feel for the family as a whole with all it’s drama’s. This was really a lovely book and one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any of my own family!

9 out of 10 stars! *********

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

The blurb: ‘Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamourous blonde Ukrainian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.’

Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their émigré engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth.

But the sisters’ campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe’s darkest history and sends them back to roots they’d much rather forget…

My review: I’ve been staring at the poster for this book at my local train station for what seems like the last ten years. So when staring at the books in WHSmith’s travel before my holiday I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did.

This book is absolutely brilliant, I loved the characters from the start especially the father, papa, who’s dialect brings him so vividly to mind that it was like picturing an old friend. If you loved My Big Fat Greek Wedding then you’ll love this, it’s all about family politics, hidden secrets, rivalry and jealously and the difference in generations. I cheered the sisters along in their quest to be rid of the gold-digging Valentina, and laughed heartily at the absurdity of Toshiba apples, flippy floppy, meanie husband!

I had barely finished the last page of this book before my boyfriend grabbed it off me and read it himself, the verdict from us both, fantastic read, completely mad but excellent. I’ve already bought her next book – Two Caravans.

8.5 out of 10 stars! ********.5

New Vs. Old

Sarah Blake’s The Postmistress seems to be everywhere at the moment. I have had a copy on my shelf for at least six months and have not gotten round to reading it yet. That’s not to say I wont, I am definitely going to read it because it’s an intriguing looking book, I bought it because I loved the cover.

However. The new jacket doesn’t intrigue me in the slightest. I love the image of the letters and the pink rose, its whimsical, speaks of love and forlorness (not quite sure why) whilst the new paperback jacket has something slightly saga-esque about it, something commercial. I can’t fathom why they would so dramatically alter such a fabulous jacket. I’m interested to know which people prefer… for reference: