WASTED by Nicola Morgan

WASTED isn't the sort of book I would normally read because it's in the young adult category.  However, I follow Nicola on twitter (she makes me laugh, lots) and I noticed that she was getting a lot of reviews for WASTED.  I became intrigued and decided to order a copy, and I am so glad I did. This may be in the YA genre but it is definitely suitable for older adults too.

This very emotive novel is about the choices life throws at you, the sadness and deep joy that comes with growing up and growing wiser. It's all kinds of beautiful.  There are two endings to this novel and I'm betting you can't limit yourself to reading just one of them

Nicola has a WASTED blog here, a blog full of useful tips for writers here and she tweets using this profile: http://twitter.com/nicolamorgan.

You can find a copy of WASTED in all good bookshops and get free overseas shipping at The Book Depository

Like Bees to Honey by Caroline Smailes

Michelangelo finished painting the nine scenes from the book of Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1512 and the Last Judgement on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in 1541. The scenes interlink in obvious ways and, in more delicate ways, like the scent of wildflower that wafts up and over the air funnel created by your movements as you pass. You only fully experience it once you've begun to purposefully seek the subtleties out.  They are, without a doubt, works of genius produced by a very talented artist. 

What I find astounding is that it has taken several centuries for the literary equivalent to be written. Like Bees to Honey has accomplished with words a work of magnitude comparable to what Michelangelo created with paint. 

This 425 page novel has an aura of breathtaking immensity, of significance on an awesome level.  This is a novel which allows the reader to find the strength to endure the terrifying free fall into forgiveness.  It is also a delicate novel that places gentle kisses on places that hurt, on emotional wounds that need soothing and protection so that they can heal properly.

 Like Bees to Honey will show you in many beautiful ways that people have an infinite capacity to love and why it's sometimes necessary to say 'bye for now'.

You can find out more about Like Bees to Honey by following this link and more about Caroline Smailes by following this link and you can treat yourself to a copy of Like Bees to Honey at any good book store.

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait is Cally Taylor's debut novel published by Orion.

I laughed frequently enough to average out to one laugh per page. The novel is 375 pages long and if you believe in the adage that "laughter is the best medicine" then this book should be available for you on perscription.

You may end up calling me psychic (but never psycho please) because I'm going to predict that Cally's going to become a hugely popular novelist worldwide and very very quickly.

You can find out more about Cally here and you can treat yourself to a copy of Heaven Can Wait here or here.

Abattoir Jack by Christopher Neilan

Abattoir Jack is the first novel to be published by Punked Books, a new Indie publisher of trade fiction and non-fiction.

I found myself completely absorbed in this tale of  twenty two year old Jack who is stuck in a  dead end job, struggling to earn enough to pay for the motel room he lives in.  When he is told something he shouldn't have heard, his life begins to change, but the reader is left unaware whether this is for better or worse until the very last page.  I was left thinking "superb, more please". 

If you liked Hound Dog by Richard Blandford then Abattoir Jack is a must read.

If you want to treat yourself to a copy then you can buy one by following this link.

Hector and the Search for Happiness

I've always been an avid reader because it offers me a delightful escape whenever I wish for one.

While the act of reading makes me happy, I've never felt that the contents of a book actually made me feel happy. Not until I read Hector and the Search for Happiness. This 164 page novel tells the tale of a psychiatrist who sets off on a journey around the world to find out what, exactly, makes people happy. In doing so he also discovers what makes him happy. While reading it I realised that this lovely little book made me feel very happy.

I am considering reading it as a bedtime story to my seven year old son but I would say that the content is safely suitable for unsupervised reading by young adults and up. In fact, I think this book defies attempts to categorize it and does something which few books are able to; it crosses the boundaries of age, social class, ethnicity and religion just as happiness itself does.

Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord (translated by Lorenza Garcia) is due to be published by Gallic Books in April 2010. You can pre-order your copy by following this link.

Thaw by Fiona Robyn

Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth's first entry is below: 

*

These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It's a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we're being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they're stuck to the outside of her hands. They're a colour that's difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I'm giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don't think I'm alone in wondering whether it's all worth it. I've seen the look in people's eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I've heard the weary grief in my dad's voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I'm Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I'm sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat - books you have to take in both hands to lift. I've had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I've still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about - princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad's snoring was.

I've always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I'll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say, 'It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for,' before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It'll all be here. I'm using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I'm striping the paper. I'm near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I'm allowed to make my decision. That's it for today. It's begun.

Continue reading at tomorrow by following this link

The Dawning

The Dawning by Megan Taylor is an indulgent and very focussed read. The story unravels over the space of about 12 hours from New Years eve onwards. 

One family's secrets overflow from the first page and they sweep the reader along. Unfolding with perfect symmetry, the plot is as unsettling as the approach of a summer thunderstorm and as irresistible as the warm summer rain that follows. 

I stayed up late reading this and would then wake during the night thinking about it. It's a great novel and one which I will read again.

You can treat yourself to a copy here or here and you can visit Megan at her blog.

Two mini reviews

Lack of time meant I had to choose between reading less (never going to happen) or writing shorter reviews.




The Hour I first Believed by Wally Lamb, published by HarperCollins, 626 pages. Magnificent!









No Time For Goodbye by Lynwood Barclay published by Orion, 437 pages. Compelling.

Roast Books

Ok, I know it's been ages since I last posted a review but I succumbed to swine flu and wasn't capable of much more than sleeping. If you want to join my pity party then you need to go here. Dress code is PJs, slippers and comfort blanket.

Before I got ill I had the time to indulge myself in a few books published by Roast Books. I've been following Roast Books since it was little more than a twinkling concept in Faye's mind as a new university graduate.

I am a devoted fan of Roast Books because they do something very few publishers do; they publish novellas. I think novellas are way too underrated and am so pleased to have discovered a publisher who wants to get them out to fill a very big gap in the market.

The first book I read was 'Little Roasts - a collection of short stories'. This will come as no surprise to people who read my blogs regularly and know what a short story addict I am.

The first story in this collection is Brian, McMurphy & Sally Too by Rowena Macdonald, an incredibly emotive story of friendship and love. It managed to thrill and shock me. At the end I longed to read more.

A Sop of All this Solid Globe by Keith Scales is very 'small town' North America. I know that may not mean much if you didn't grow up on that continent but you'll understand after you've read it. And, read it you should.

Circling by Mark Kotting is very suspenseful, very cleverly written. It left me thinking about it for a long time after I'd finished reading.

Rudimentary Mathematician by Nikhil Pandhi is short but very cinematic. Almost disturbingly so.

Selling Light by Effie Gray is wonderfully quirky. The book came alive from the first page and each character called out to me for attention in equal measures. At times I realised that I was holding my breath as I read. My reading time is usually just before I go to sleep but in this case I did something I rarely do and took Selling Light into the bath with me to increase my reading time. The ending pleased me greatly and I have to say that I think this novella is a real treat. Buy it for someone you love.


Lizard by L.Schick reads with an almost dreamlike quality. I'm talking about dreams where nothing makes sense if you think about it too hard but somehow you just know it is right and unfolding the way it has to? It entertained me hugely and I wanted to know what happened next each time I reached the bottom of the page. It is the most unique story I have ever had the pleasure of reading and I look forward to whatever this author dreams up next.


I've got several more Roast Books on my to be read pile and I am looking forward to continuing the experience. Roast Book's blog is here, the full catalogue is here, and you can follow Faye on Twitter.

I think the world needs to know about Roast Books so please plug it on your blogs and websites.

Finally, I feel that I should point out that novellas make great Christmas stocking stuffers and while you're at it why not treat yourself to a 'great little read' too?

The Season of the Beast by Andrea H. Japp

The Season of the Beast is brought to you courtesy of those clever people at Gallic Books who provide you with the opportunity to enjoy French to English translations of some very good reads.

I've spent the past six weeks reading this novel by Andrea Japp (translated by Lorenza Garcia), partly because it has been a hectic and exhausting six weeks and partly because I was doing my utmost to take my time and savour this mystery.

Set in medieval France it tells the absorbing tale of Agnes de Souarcy, an admirable and believable character whom I found myself fascinated with. The struggles everyone faced in daily life back in 1304 is portrayed in the most vivid way. Some of the most mundane scenes are absolutely shocking because of this writing skill. An added bonus is the Historical References and Glossary which added layers to the detail within the story.

The suspense in this novel is exquisitely delivered in rich detail page by page. I found myself either cheering Agnes on or greatly concerned for her well being throughout the novel. The fact that I found myself so engaged with Agnes and the troubles she faces is, to me anyway, the prefect example of the quality of content you'll find between the covers of The Season of the Beast.

A word of warning for those of you who will buy The Season of the Beast after reading this post: there is a second and third installment in the Agnes de Souarcy chronicles called The Breath of the Rose and The Divine Blood. Buy them all at the same time because when you finish reading The Season of the Beast you will be desperate to know what happens next.

Sadomasochism for Accountants by Rosy Barnes

Sadomasochism for Accountants is about love, laughter and lunacy, though you may doubt me after reading the title. I don’t believe you can experience one of the former two without the latter lurking sensed but unseen in the shadow of those emotions. In her debut novel Rosy Barnes blends the three in a variety of ways that should seem familiar in varying degrees to most adults.

Rosy's style reminds me of Carl Hiaasen. Loads of characters make this story a comedic romp with each playing a significant part in the plot. You might expect so many major characters to make the story a confusing muddle but each has an unexpected depth which makes them vital to the reader's enjoyment of the story as a whole.

As Rosy says on her website - 'Buy the book - Ah go on. Go on, go on, go on'

Find out more about Rosy follow this link to her website and to find out more about Marion Boyars follow this link to their website

Cloths of Heaven by Sue Eckstein

Sue Eckstein's debut novel, The Cloths of Heaven, is a treasure.

The scented evenings, heavily weighted with West African heat, seemed to rise from the pages as I read. I felt as if I was curled up on a cushion, watching but unseen, as the plot unfolded like many layers of delicate, luxurious fabric. At times I found myself holding my breath as I read.

The characters are unexpectedly real. Everyone has met personalities like these in their own lives and I found that this familiarity drew me deep into the novel. At times I felt an inkling of what it must feel like to be a stalker; that urge to vicariously experience more of another's life, the reluctance to be parted from them. I felt a slight sense of grief as the novel ended simply because it finished so perfectly and, I wanted to spend more time in their world.

I particularly liked the fact that Sue wrote short chapters and these allowed me to move along the book at a steady pace, picking up different characters viewpoints as the story progresses and blending what I knew from previous pages with what the next character believed to be the truth.

The Cloths of Heaven mimics real life effortlessly, recounting it with maximum impact packed full of vivid imagery, scents and palpable emotions.

For a more traditional review you can follow this link to Caroline Smaile's blog or this one to Bookersatz.

The Cloths of Heaven is published by Myriad Editions.

You can read the first chapter here.

You can buy a copy here and here or any good bookstore. On the 9th of August I will be interviewing Sue on my Chez Aspie blog and giving away a signed copy of The Cloths of Heaven courtesy of Myriad Editions.

You can find out more about Sue at Myriad Editions or by following her on Twitter.

The Dolce Vita Diaries

I just loved everything about this book, the cover art, the photos, the recipes and the story that wraps round it all.

Jason, Cathy and their daughter Rosie move to Italy to nurture their olive grove. Sounds idyllic doesn't it? Well according to Cathy and Jason the answer is yes and no. After reading their book I am inclined to agree but I was left with more of the 'yes' resounding in my head and less of the 'no'.

This is a blunt, vivid account of their struggles to live their dream. They did it but I'll leave it to you to decide if they think it was worth it.

I am willing to bet you can't read the book without wanting to adopt an olive tree.

Go. Read. Discover Nudo.

The Dolce Vita Diaries is published by The Friday Project

The Letters by Fiona Robyn

I was lucky enough to meet Fiona Robyn when she came to town to read some of her poetry on a Tongues and Grooves evening.

Fiona's poetry is exquisite; the words are almost palpable, ripe, warm and juicy like blackberries eaten as fast as they can be picked off the sun warmed brambles.

Much to my delight her fiction has the same cadence...one which, to my mind, is reminiscent of Gregorian Monks chanting their prayers.

The Letters flings the reader up onto an edge of adrenaline fuelled frisson before dropping you into fur lined ruts where you could happily luxuriate forever.

There is a decadent syncopation to The Letters.

The Letters, published by the wonderful world of Snowbooks, is a treat from start to finish. You can buy a copy here, here or here as well as any good book store and you can find out more about Fiona here.

Probability Angels by Joseph Devon

This is an incredibly complex novel which is made all the more compelling by the way the robust and endearing main characters fit together in a most satisfying fashion.

The Probability Angels are responsible for pushing their living charges into making life changing decisions. I think this concept is one which would be readily familiar and acceptable within many cultures and faiths and for this reason I am confident that this book will eventually be translated into many languages.

The vivid imagery which flows from every page made me think that this could be made into a blockbuster film but as always, the written word provides a richness and depth that no movie will be able to offer. I suggest you read Probability Angles first and, when the movie is made, enjoy it for for the added dimension it will provide.

You get a lot of book for your money folks. Trust me, you'll thank me for it later.

This is the first book that I have read by Joseph Devon but I have since found out that he has written a couple of others, including a book of short stories (my fave), so I've got some catching up to do!

While I am off expanding my library so I can add in yet more books, you can find out more about Joseph Devon by following this link and you can find some traditional style reviews by following this link.

Flying Saucer Rock & Roll by Richard Blandford

Flying Saucer Rock & Roll is a story about teenage angst. About falling in and out of love, lust and friendship. About the starting and stopping of 'being in a band'.

Not only does Richard tackle these subjects with consummate skill, he goes one step further and adds in a teenager named Neil who is most definitely on the Asperger's Syndrome end of the Autistic Spectrum.

Reading about Neil's behaviour was like relieving my teenage years. Intermittently throughout the novel I would realise that I was thinking 'Oh urk, I did that, I behaved just like that!'

I was looking forward to reading Richard Blandford's second novel because I had enjoyed his debut novel Hound Dog so much.

The first surprise came about because I had assumed, perhaps naively, that this new novel would be written in the same style as the first. How wrong I was.

The second revelation was how very (very, very , very) well written Flying Saucer Rock & Roll is. I used to admire Richard's authorial skills but at the moment I am finding it difficult to see past the waves of jealousy...

Seriously though this book is a treat. Buy it and find out for yourself. Oh and if you would like to read a more traditional review of Flying Saucer Rock & Roll then go on over to Scott Pack's blog.

One Under by Graham Hurley

Oh I just love Graham Hurley's novels! Not only is he a very skilled author but his books are all set in Portsmouth.

There is something particularly absorbing about a book in which I am able to picture exactly most of the locations being described, the labile beauty of the seafront, the smell of the harbour, the sheer volume of the birdsong from the conservation areas which hug Portsea Island, the scene of the crime, the multitude of surrounding villages and the atmosphere of the pubs.

One Under is a particular favourite because it features a few cameo appearances from the author Sally Spedding. I reviewed her collection of short stories Strangers Waiting here.

The Oven House by Lynne Rees

The Oven House by Lynne Rees was in turns exquisitely delightful and decadently painful to read... much in the same way as an ice cold treat on a hot summer day will give you sweet pleasure, swiftly followed by brain freeze.

Is it obvious that I am really struggling to describe the effect it had on me? Please don't let my review put you off as that is not my intent. I am actually still a little overwhelmed by how very well written this story was. It isn't an easy topic to base a short story on let alone a whole novella.

The Oven House is filled with the ripe pleasure of sexual indulgence, of the particular agonies that are irrevocably linked to both falling in and out of love and the uniquely lush joy that comes from falling in love with someone all over again.

The Oven House is vividly written. The words moved off the page and into my very core. They are rich and inviting, emotive, magical in their strength and self assurance. You won't just read this book, you'll feel, taste, see, smell and be moved by it.

An Ungodly Child - by Rachel Green

I've never read a novel quite like this one. Rachel Green describes it as 'urban fantasy'.

I thought that I knew what to expect as I had first stumbled upon Rachel's writing when I found her blog 'Laverstone Tales' which is full of delightful characters who regularly embark on a wide variety of adventures.

What I wasn't prepared for was the rich vein of humour that underscores each chapter, the ability to poke fun at the absurdity of human nature and all else beyond it. The characters in 'An Ungodly Child' go through exquisitely choreographed journeys of self awareness .

This book in many ways reminded me of Stephen Shieber's collection of short stories 'Being Normal'. Forget that one of the main characters of this book is a demon called Jasfoup and you'll see that this novel is actually all about being and accepting others for being normal, whatever they may chose to define that as.

This is a book full of beauty, life, laughter and the enduring strength and acceptance that comes with true love. It enriched me and I am grateful that I was able to experience it. I know that I will read it again and again. I am sure many other readers will too.

You can see Rachel Green's photography, art and poetry on this blog here

Rachel Green has told me that she has several finished novels and is looking for a publisher. How I wish I was an inde publisher...

The Blood of Strangers by Frank Huyler

I've read several books since my last review and they were all ok but none of them moved me enough to want to write a review about them. However, the Blood of Strangers by Frank Huyler was an absolute delight and not just because it is comprised of my favorite read which many of you will know by now is short stories.

Although the book is about the experiences of an emergency ward doctor and therefore not the most lighthearted of content, the reading of these stories is almost effortless. In fact, I felt as if I was looking at art or watching a movie instead of actively reading.

Frank Huyler is a poet and this comes across clearly in these stories. He is able to paint a vibrant, exquisitely alive scene with very few words.

I was disappointed when the book ended for it was far too soon for my liking. I will be keeping a look out for more by Frank Huyler. You can treat yourself to a copy by clicking below.