Ivy's reading log

Skippy Dies: Paul Murray. Skippy/Daniel is a 14 year old boy who is a boarder at the exclusive boys school, Seabrook. The novel opens with him dying on the floor of a doughnut house, and the remainder of the book deals with the lead up to his death, and it's aftermath. This is a funny, touching book, and I thought Murray protrayed his characters very well. It is fairly long (660 pages or so) and could have been cut a bit (the descriptions of M theory and World War One didn't really need to be so detailed) but otherwise a great read. Recommended.

The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver. Harrison Shepherd has an American father and Mexican mother, who are separated, and he spends his early years between Mexico and a boarding school in Washington. He ends up working as a cook/secretary for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, during the thirties when they sheltered Trotsky. When he becomes famous in later years, his past comes back to haunt him. This is a wonderful novel, the descriptions of Mexico are beautiful, and it is extremely well written. Recommended.

Swan Song: Robert McCammon. This is a very long novel which describes the start of a nuclear war that tears the world apart, and it's aftermath. The survivors (such as the eponymous Swan, who has a way with plants, Josh the wrestler, Sister the bag-lady, Roland the unpleasant teenager, and Colonel Macklin, the ex-army officer and mercenary) struggle to survive. Parallels between this book and Stephen King's The Stand are obvious, given the battle between good and evil. At the beginning of the novel, I was irritated that McCammon even had a character very very similar to the "Dark Man" of The Stand. However, dare I say it, I felt this novel was written better than the Stand, and in particular the denouement was much better handled. Frightening and gruesome in places, this novel is ultimately a story of hope. Recommended.

Diagnosis: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Medical Mysteries: Lisa Sanders. Sanders, a practising doctor, advisor for the programme "House" and writer of a NY Times column, writes about how doctors make their diagnoses, from the patient's story, the physical exam to high-tech tests. She explains the advantages and limitations of each aspect of making a diagnosis, and where the doctors can go wrong. I found this fascinating and also somewhat scary, in that experience seems to be one of the most important factors in making a diagnosis, and also the fact that the physical exam (at least in American medicine) is disappearing from hospitals. Sanders never gets too bogged down in medical terms, I found this easy to follow, and she showed a lot of humanity in the stories of patients. Recommended if you are interested in medicine.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: Oliver Sacks. Sacks is a neurologist who was made famous by the "Awakenings" of Parkinson's disease patients. In this book, he describes different types of neurological problems that can arise from "losses" (of memory, physcial function etc), excesses (Tourette's syndrome), transportations (visions etc) and mental retardation, through a serious of patient histories. While he shows sensitivity in dealing with these histories (especially with the stories of mentally handicapped people), and does spur some interesting thought on the idea of "self" and "soul" (eg some of the patients were happier with their "problem" than they were before), I got a little bogged down in the technical details and terms he used. It was an interesting read but perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I more experience in the area.

Maskerade: Terry Pratchett. Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax need a third witch. Agnes Nitt (or Perdita as she prefers to be called) seems the perfect candidate, but she prefers to go to the city to be an opera singer. A pastiche of musicals, opera and the phantom of the opera, this is another funny installment of the Discworld series.

Feet of Clay: Terry Pratchett. Some mysterious murders have been happening in Ahnk-Morpork and it's up to the Night Watch to solve them. The Patrician is also being poisoned, and someone is trying to make Nobby the king. Angua is having an identity crisis. While I enjoyed this, it was at times a bit convoluted.

Death in the Clouds: Agatha Christie. Poirot takes a flight between Paris and London, and one of the passengers is murdered without anyone noticing. All we know is that she was killed using a poison dart. A good Poirot mystery.

Peril at End House: Agatha Christie. A young lady escapes death several times in one week, and enlists Poirot to find out who is trying to kill her. But not everything is as it seems. Another good mystery with plenty of red herrings.

Five Little Pigs: Agatha Christie. A young woman contacts Poirot, she wants him to prove that her mother was innocent of her father's murder 16 years ago. Only five people ("pigs") are possible suspects. Can Poirot solve such an old mystery? Of course!

Room: Emma Donoghue. Jack is a five year old boy who has lived in Room with his mother since he was born. His mother was abducted and locked away in a single room 8 years ago. This novel, told from Jack's point of view, describes their life in "Room". I thought Donoghue got Jack's voice spot on. While this is sometimes difficult to read, I found it very well told and moving, particularly the second half. Recommended.

The Hotel New Hampshire: John Irving. Reading this made me realise why I haven't read any John Irving books for more than a year. Repetitive plots (short man, bears, Vienna, New England, seduction by older woman, infidelity. If Iowa Bob was made a wrestling coach, I would have thrown this book out the window). While the writing itself is very good (as usual from Irving), I couldn't care about any of the characters and the story was tiresome. Stick to Garp, Eoin Meany or The Cider House Rules. Very disappointing.

The Cloths of Heaven: Sue Eckstein. This novel is set in a West African country among a community of ex-pats. Daniel arrives from England as a new member of the Foreign office and has trouble adjusting. He becomes fascinated by a mysterious white woman called Rachael. This story was interesting, however I felt that Eckstein had too many stories in the pot and as a result none of the characters or stories was really developed. Entertaining enough.

The Pitmen's Requiem: Peter Crookston. This is ostensibly a biography of Robert Saint, who wrote a piece of music called "Gresford" in reaction to a mining disaster in 1934, but it is actually a lament for the miner's way of life, their communities and the miner's strikes of 1984/1985. Mainly told through miner's own accounts, this is a very interesting look into a life that has all but disappeared. Recommended if you have any interest in mines and miners.

Ok it's been AGES since I've updated this and I've read a ton of books since!

Brooklyn: Colm Toibin. Eilis is bored in Enniscorthy in the 50's, and she gets the chance to emigrate to Brooklyn to work in a department store. This noveltells the story of her trip across the Atlantic,and her eventual settling in to American life. Family tragedy calls her back home, and Eilis has to struggle with the decision to return to America or to stay in Ireland. Very little actually happens in this novel, it is more concerned with Eilis' own thoughts and indecisiveness. I loved this, it was beautifully written and really got me gripped by Eilis' life.

The Book of Fame: Lloyd Jones. This is a fictionalized account of the All Blacks tour to the British Isles in 1905. While there are descriptions of the rugby matches (a really brutal schedule considering the players were all amateurs), this is more about the developing relationship between the men, and their attitude to their developing and unasked-for fame. Loved this.

About the size of it, the commonsense approach to measuring things: Warwick Cairns. This slim volume describes how common units of measurement came about (the inch, the foot, the builder's hand, the barleycorn in shoe sizes), and also defends the "imperial system" from the onslaught of SI units. While the former is very interesting, I felt the second aspect was too biased towards the imperial system and Cairn's explanations of why some imperial measures are more logical than their metric equivalents are scanty at best. Interesting enough but perhaps a more balanced book about weights and measures would be more satisfying.

The Man Who Disappeared: Clare Morall. Kate's husband disappears after he is revealed to be involved in a money laundering scandal, and this novel deals with the impact this disappearance on Kate and her two children. It was hard to care about the impact on them, as it did not involve "real" hardship (oh the poor darlings can no longer go to public school, and I must *gasp* find a job). And how many people who work 3 hours a day as a cleaner can afford to buy a 3 bed house? Fine to while away a few hours but not if you are looking for something deep.

The Haunting of Hill House: Shirley Jackson. Doctor Montague is a scientist who tries to find evidence of paranormal events. One summer, he events several people to Hill House (which is thought to be haunted and is linked with several suicides and mysterious deaths) to assist him in his research. From the start, the "strangeness" of the house is evident. Nicely scary horror, I enjoyed this.

If a Pirate I Must Be: Richard Sanders. This is the history of Bartholemew Roberts ("Black Bart"), one of the most successful 18th century pirate captains. It's a fascinating account of the period, and of pirate life, as well as describing life on slavers and in the colonies. Great.

Swapped by a Kiss: Luisa Plaja. Rachel is a "gothically-inclined" American teenager, who arrives at a festival in England with the intention of surprising her on-again off-again boyfriend David, but insteads finds him kissing her friend Jo. In the shock, Jo and Rachel somehow switch bodies (a la Freaky Friday). This is very funny, but also touching in parts, especially about relationships and family secrets. Fun.

Jingo: Terry Pratchett. An island suddenly appears between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch, and the debate over who owns the island makes war almost inevitable. Sam Vimes is convinced that someone wants a war, and he sets out to find out why and to try to stop them. Another discworld novel featuring the Watch, this is very enjoyable and funny.

Murder in Mesopotamia: Agatha Christie. The wife of renowned archaeologist, Dr Leidner, is murdered, and Hercule Poirot is on the spot to solve the crime. Wonderfully complex mystery.

Cards in the Table: Agatha Christie. Mr Shaitana hosts a bridge party, and invites for detectives and four people he thinks have previously committed murders, for the entertainment value, and ends up being murdered himself. Who could have thought bridge could be so dangerous!

Murder in the Mews: Agatha Christie. This is a collection of four novellas involving Hercule Poirot, 3 murders and an international incident.

A Tale of Two Cities: Charles Dickens. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...", the opening line of this classic novel, which tells the intertwined stories of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton before and during the French Revolution. It's a fascinating story, and really illustrates Dicken's social commentary, with his descriptions of the poverty of French peasants, and his criticism of the brutality of The Terror. This is a re-read for me, but I was still very moved with the ending!

The Understudy: A Novel: David Nicholls. Stephen McQueen is a failed actor and divorced father of one girl who is still looking for his big break. His current job is that of understudy to Josh Harper, the "next big thing" in a West End play. Things are complicated by McQueen falling in love with Josh's American wife. As a story it's entertaining enough but fairly predictable, and some of the characters are a bit cardboard. I enjoyed this though.

Lady Susan: Jane Austen. This is an early work by Jane Austen that was never submitted for publication (it is available free for download on the Project Gutenberg website). Lady Susan is a beautiful, selfish schemer who is trying to trap suitably rich husbands for herself and her daughter, while having a relationship with a married man. It took me a little while to get into this, but it was enjoyable enough, quite funny in parts too.

When will there be good news: Kate Atkinson. When Joanna Hunter was 5, her mother and siblings were killed by a knife-wielding maniac. 30 years later, Joanna is a doctor married with a child, and the murder is being released from prison. This mystery sees Joanna's path cross with Jackson Brodie (a former soldier and detective) and Reggie, an orphaned teenager. I really loved this book, language Atkinson uses is beautiful, she unfolds the mystery slowly and you are left guessing right to the end. Something I really like about her novels is the symmetry of the characters lives...great, recommended.

The Last Continent: Terry Pratchett. Rincewind the wizard has accidentally been sent to the continent of XXXX. This discworld novel is a satire on time traveling and Australia. Very very funny.

Colomba: Prosper Merimee. Orso is a young Corsican who is returning to Corsica after several years in France serving in the Napoleonic armies. On his return, his sister Colomba encourages him to seek vengeance on the family believed to have killed Orso's father. This 19th century novella is the best known story about Corsica and defined continental French people's opinions of Corsica, the Corsicans, and the culture of "vendetta". Having just returned from a trip to Corsica, I found this fascinating. The ending was a little bit too tidy but otherwise I would recommend this.

Started early, took my dog: Kate Atkinson. Tracy is an ex-policewoman working as a security guard in a shopping centre in Leeds. One day she sees a small child being mistreated and makes a decision that changes the direction of her life. At the same time, ex-policeman turned detective Jackson Brodie is trying to find the biological parents of New Zealand woman Hope McMaster. Both these storylines come inexorably together. Once again, Atkinson has crafted a very interesting mystery, full of coincidences and literary references. As always, I love her writing, and really enjoyed this story. Recommended.

American Notes for General Circulation: Charles Dickens. This is Dicken's account of his visit to the United States in 1842. This has moments of Dicken's humour (his description of the hellish Atlantic crossing, and of the filthy river steamboats, particularly) and his social commentary (his praise of American's prisons and hospitals), but also of intense criticism of a society built on slavery (and the mistreatment of slaves), money, bad press and bad manners (his disgust for tobacco-chewing spitters is evident). Fascinating description of an America long gone.

cailinoBAC wrote: »

I'm reading 'Started Early' too. Didn't warm to it at first but I'm half way through now and really stuck in!

I find Atkinson's stories are slow burners but they are generally worth it!

Christine: Stephen King. Arnie Cunningham is a nerdy high school student who buys a beat-up old 1950's Plymouth Fury called Christine and quickly becomes obsessed with the car. His friend Dennis becomes more and more disturbed by Arnie's change in personality and the hold the car has on him. It seems that the car is possessed. It is quite chilling for a while but I found the novel a bit too long, and I couldn't continue to be afraid of a driverless car. Ok but not great.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum: Kate Atkinson. Atkinson's first novel, this is the story of Ruby Lennox and four generations of her family. Chapters told from the perspective of Ruby are interspersed with flashbacks ("footnotes") from the point of view of her female relatives. The main themes seem to be the death of children in the family, and the women of the family's unhappy marriages. Really enjoyed this.

The Clocks: Agatha Christie. A young lady finds the body of a unidentified man in the livingroom of a blind woman. All the clocks in the room are set to 4.13, which is the wrong time, and there may be a connection to espionage. Poirot investigates. Entertaining.

A Game of Thrones: George RR Martin. The first book in the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. I'm not hugely into "fantasy" but I have heard a lot of good things about this series, and I wanted to read the book before watching the tv adaptation. Really enjoyed this, the world building and language was very convincing (perhaps because Martin did not "invent" a language, but made his world very like a medieval scene.

Caleb's Crossing: Geraldine Brooks. A fictionalised account of the first Native American (Caleb) to graduate from Harvard, told through the eyes of Betha, a white girl living in Martha's vineyard. Didn't warm to this, I felt it was more about Betha than Caleb.

Whose Body? - Dorothy L Sayers. Lord Peter Whimsey is intrigued by the sudden appearance of a naked dead body in the bath and investigates. A financier has also gone missing under strange circumstances and it becomes clear that the two events are linked in some way. A hired man has just found a corpse in the bath in his flat: a body wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez. In the meantime, the financier has apparently disappeared into thin air from his own bedroom. Ignoring the clumsy efforts of the official investigator, Lord Peter starts his own enquiry. Quite entertaining but I found it a bit dated.

The Fifth Elephant - Terry Pratchett. The scone of stone (used to crown new Dwarf kings) has been stolen, and the watch must find the culprit. Sam Vimes travels as ambassador to Uberwald, and realises that the theft may be linked to the upcoming decision of the dwarves on a new Low King. Very funny.

They Shoot Horses Don't They? - Horace McCoy. This novel begins with Robert being convicted of murder, and continues with the description of the relationship he had with the girl (Gloria) he murdered. Set during depression-era LA, Robert and Gloria take part in a dance marathon, where couples dance non-stop hoping to be the last couple standing to win a big cash prize, and elusive fame. I really enjoyed this novel, it showed the desperation people can be brought to in troubled times.

Emotionally Weird - Kate Atkinson. On a weather-beaten island off the coast of Scotland, Effie and her mother, Nora, take refuge in the large, mouldering house of their ancestors and tell each other stories. Nora, at first, recounts nothing that Effie really wants to hear--like who her real father was. Effie tells various versions of her life at college, where in fact she lives in a lethargic relationship with Bob, a student who never goes to lectures, seldom gets out of bed, and to whom Klingons are as real as Spaniards and Germans. But as mother and daughter spin their tales, strange things are happening around them. Is Effie being followed? Is someone killing the old people? And where is the mysterious yellow dog? This was average, not as funny or original as other Kate Atkinson novels, and quite confusing at times.

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch - Alison Arngrim. Alison Arngrim played Nellie Olsen in The Little House on the Prairie. She tells, hilariously, what it is like to be continuously recognised as one of the best known bitches in tv history. Describing her turbulent early life, with an alcoholic mother, gay father, and an older brother who sexually abused her for years, she recounts how The Little House on the Prairie was a godsend and an escape. Both moving and hilariously funny, I loved this and would recommend it to anyone who ever watched an episode!

Cat Among the Pigeons - Agatha Christie. In an exclusive girls boarding school, teachers are dropping like flies. Is it linked to a recent revolution in the Middle East? Poirot investigates. Entertaining.