Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriaty

 I am a HUGE fan of Liane Moriaty's books since first listening to Big Little Lies. In fact I am such a fan that I have told pretty much everyone that I know this fact and recommended her books to all my friends and family ( most of whom also love her stories)

So, when this book came out in 2019 I was eager to read- it made Waterstones book of the month- I could hardly wait to get started. This is what the Waterstones website says:

** One house. Nine strangers. Ten days that will change everything...

The eagerly-anticipated new novel from the worldwide Number One bestselling author behind Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning HBO series Big Little Lies and smash-hit novel The Husband's Secret.

The retreat at health-and-wellness resort Tranquillum House promises total transformation. Nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage, and absorb the meditative ambience while enjoying their hot stone massages.

Miles from anywhere, without cars or phones, they have no way to reach the outside world. Just time to think about themselves, and get to know each other.

Watching over them is the resort's director, a woman on a mission. But quite a different one from any the guests might have imagined. For behind the retreat's glamorous facade lies a dark agenda.

These nine perfect strangers have no idea what's about to hit them...

** ( taken from https://www.waterstones.com/book/nine-perfect-strangers/liane-moriarty/9781405919463) 

Whew- sounds pretty incredible. I was excited to find out what the dark agenda at Tranquillum house was, who this strange director was- yes, I was well and truly drawn in by the hype and couldnt wait to read the book.

What can I say other than, 'Oh dear me!' From the start it just did not do it for me in the slightest. The nine perfect strangers , with their varying hang-ups and issues just did not ring true and as for Masha- she was so far fetched that I often had to re-read sections to check that I had actually read it correctly. I read right to to end as I kept hoping that it would grab me like every other of her stories, but instead it became more and more ridiculous. Had it been sold as a comedy ( a pretty black one at that ) it may have worked better but to be taken seriously in any shape or form seemed an impossibilty. Each time I thought - well that couldn't possibly be about to happen - it did. 

I know it's been made into an incredibly popular drama with the rather wonderful Nicole Kidman but I'm not planning to watch it. I am still a fan of Ms Moriaty and will read her next books with interest. Perhaps she was writing with her tongue firmly in her cheek and the whole thing was just two fingers to the high priced ( and perhaps not necessarily scientifically approved) centres that promise much and charge more. I suspect Covid put paid to many of those.  

So, if you are looking for utter nonsense with cliched characters, bizarre treatments and a cartoon-esque villain ( think Cruella, Maleficent- that's the type of character Masha is !) then you may well enjoy it. But if you like credible storylines with characters that you can empathise with and a plot that intrigues, this may not be the best choice.

One word to sum up- 

incredible

/ɪnˈkrɛdɪb(ə)l/

Learn to pronounce

adjective

1. 1.

   impossible to believe.

 

Billy Summers . Stephen King

 Billy Summers is a crime novel written by American author Stephen King, published by Scribner on August 3, 2021. Wikipedia

I am a HUGE fan of Stephen King, Having scared myself reading Pan Horror stories as a 12 year old I was hooked into the horror genre and read James Herbert and Stephen King books as fast as I could get a copy from the local library.

Fortunately Stephen King does a lot more than horror and  as I have grown from a pre-teen to present day his writing style has evolved in to a broad range of styles and genres. I would not like to go so far as to say I am his number one fan as I would not like to be compared to Annie Wilkes from Misery. Indeed there are books of his that I have not read and some that I have not enjoyed. But I digress- let's get on with doing what this blog is meant to be about which is reviewing the book.

**NOTE No spoilers will be given in any reviews as I'm not a reader who flicks to the back of the book to see where it ends. I appreciate that many people do this, but for those who don't want spoilers please rest assured that you will not find any here**

Billy Summers is an assassin. An assassin with a conscience.

Now that sounds like an oxymoron. It is an oxymoron. I am the sort of reader who has to feel something for the characters in a book otherwise what's the point of the time invested. So an assassin, with a conscience. How will that work? Is it even possible?  

Billy Summers is a fast paced story that keeps you guessing right until the closing sentences. Stephen King's characters are multi dimensional and totally credible. At times Mr King can wax lyrical for pages ( even chapters ...The Stand, Under the Dome could have been A LOT shorter) but in the case of Billy Summers each word, each sentence, each chapter work together to tell a story.  The genre given is crime but that's over simplified the complexities of this work.  It is a lot more than a crime story.

I have seen reviews where the author has been accused of misogynistic opinions but I felt these were uunfounded. Some of the characters certainly had unsavoury opinions but that makes for a more realistic portrayal of a 21st century world. Some of the characters are likeable, some are not. Some are contensious, Some not. 

What was great about this work- the characters, their interactions, the journey you are taken on alongside Billy Summers. The author makes his political views known throughout the story so if you're not in agreement this book will definitely annoy you ! But I didn't mind the not-so-subtle pokes at the president of the time.

What was not great- I read this book earlier this year and there is not one thing that I could criticise There are some VERY hard parts to read where violence of a sexual nature is detailed, but it is integral to the story.

I laughed out loud, I shouted , I felt rage ( As mentioned in my previous post I mostly listen to audio books at the moment on my daily commute) I shed tears, I even dreamt about the characters. This book worked its way under my skin . For me it would sit  alongside The Green Mile, Misery, The Institute as being one of his greatest works. I'm hopeful that it would be made into a film or even a series ( as long as the story isn't changed beyond all recognition like the TV series Under the Dome) . Billy Summers tells his story through his cover story of being an author whilst he waits to be called to take action. Who better than to write about an author than a master of the craft. 

As I said at the start, I am a fan , but if you've never read a Stephen King book before make this your first one. Well written and gripping- I sat  in the car on many occasions unable to switch off and listened whilst at home and out and about as I needed to know what was coming next. Don't be put off if you're not a horror story fan- he's moved on a long way from that. If you like a book that tells a story with lots of character interaction then I'd say you would enjoy this. 

I did. It's a 10 from me.

Hello again

 Goodness it has been a LONG time since the last post - and several jobs have been and gone. 

I may, or may not write about those at some point.

In the meantime, along with my teaching I love to read and with a daily commute of 90 minutes have embraced audio books. So , this blog space will now be used to review some of the books that I have read. 

I'd love to write one of my own one day ( well I have one  in my google drive that I'm really not happy with so I will rephrase that as I would love to write a decent book of my own one day). 

The esteemed author, Stephen King, in his autobiographical book 'On Writing' repeatedly referred to his love of reading, and the copious amount that he has and still does as one of his biggest influences that I dream that my love of reading may perhaps help me to become a better writer.

In the meantime thus begins my reviews. Thanks for reading!

Book review of The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

This captivating book follows the story of Lynnie, Homan and Martha from 1968 in Pennsylvania to 2011.
Lynnie , a young woman with an intellectual disability, and Homan, a deaf man with only sign language to guide him, make a desperate escape from the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded for just long enough to leave Lynnie’s newborn baby with Martha, a retired school teacher. Lynnie is quickly captured and returned to The School, but Homan, presumed dead, makes his escape.
Each chapter concentrates on one character, building up an intricate description of each of their lives. There is Kate, who works at The School and her unfailing support for Lynnie, Homan’s constant search for Lynnie (his Beautiful Girl) and her baby, and his belief that he will find her. Martha, who takes in a stranger’s baby and honours her promise to “Hide her.” and of course Lynnie, who is the “Beautiful Girl”.
I loved the way the story was written and found the characters incredibly believable. Rachel Simon has obviously researched her facts very thoroughly- the end notes give her reasons for writing the book. The fact that institutions such as The School existed until such recent times was horrifying and the way that children, babies and adults were kept there was deeply upsetting.
I read this book within a week as I quickly found myself swept along by events and wanted to find out if they would ever be reunited.

I would recommend this book without hesitation. It was a beautiful story. Moving at times, tragic in parts, uplifting and informative.

Review of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Before I read this book, I knew very little about Ernest Hemingway and even less about his wives.  That had changed by the time I reached the end.

Paula Mclain’s book tells the story of Ernest and his first wife, Hadley. It is told from her point of view and chronicles their initial meeting, subsequent courtship, marriage and ultimate heartbreak. 

Much of the story is set in Paris during the time of prohibition, although alcohol flows freely throughout (including the then illegal absinthe!). It follows Ernest’s struggle for recognition as an author and Hadley’s unfaltering adoration and support of him through a succession of breakdowns, occasional highs and many lows.

McLain’s writing totally draws you into Hadley’s world and you can’t help but feel an emotional connection as the story of their marriage unfolds. However, Hadley’s passiveness became increasingly frustrating and I found myself less and less sympathetic towards her as the story unfolded. She almost completely loses her identity as she devotes herself entirely to Ernest and accepts his outrageous actions towards their marriage even though it is ripping her apart.   The book becomes more and more difficult to read as their marriage crumbles and their once so beautiful relationship becomes ugly, fuelled by copious drinking.  All their relationships seem superficial- perhaps that is what they were like and I just didn’t like them much!

 McLain stresses in the end notes that her work is fictional and I did find the Hemingways became increasingly caricature like as the story progressed; was Hadley really that passive and did Ernest really act so appallingly? Their pet name for each other, “Tatie”, along with other pet names given to their friends added to my exasperation.  I am undecided whether or not to read his memoirs of his time in Paris (A Moveable Feast) to see how that compares.

That said, the love story of their early relationship and marriage was beautifully written and the descriptions of life at the time obviously well researched; the images conjured up of the many parties, the skiing and the cafes were, at times, breathtaking.

As a historical romance the story ticks the boxes, for readers who are fans of Hemingway or want to know more about his life I wonder whether this would meet their expectations.

Book reviews

I have always been a keen reader. Since my early childhood reading has been one of my favourite past times; my hubby and I often chat about winning the lottery (who doesn't!?) and how we would have our own library/reading room with floor to ceiling book shelves, an open fireplace, great big comfy chairs...Bliss!
In the meantime, I sit curled up on the sofa reading. I have kept a log of the books I read for the last 7 years so that I can make a note of favoured authors or books that I particularly enjoyed.

When I spotted a tweet from WHSmiths asking for people interested in reviewing books to contact them, I leapt at the opportunity.
It has been a very interesting pursuit and one that I intend to continue; I shall use my blog to share reviews that I do.
As with the weekly writing challenges I am hoping that regular practise of writing reviews will improve them; I have been reading reviews in various papers and see that I have some way to go.

Here's my review of the latest Stephen King novel, 11.22.63
Having been an avid fan since my teenage years, it was with much anticipation that I read this latest offering from the prolific writer, Stephen King. 11.22.63 takes the reader on a journey back in time through a portal found in the most inauspicious of places. The plot soon draws you in and it doesn't take long for the reader to be turning pages at breakneck speed to find out if Jake's mission will be successful or not. Time travel stories can all too often become unbelievable but King's writing is so well researched that this never becomes the case with this book. As the story progresses you find yourself willing him on against a multitude of barriers. This novel, although not a patch on "The Stand" (in my opinion one of his greatest), is well worth a read. Gritty, pacey and well researched. It isn't a horror story at all; so don't be put off by that thought- it is a mixture of thriller, both crime and psychological, love, action and history

Book review

I was recently sent a copy of, "MY DEAR, I WANTED TO TELL YOU." by Louisa Young, to review for WH Smith.

I finished it late last night, so , hot off the press, here is my review.
If you read it I would love to know what you think of it too!

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young – review

This book promises much: “This is the most powerful book you will read all year. You will want to tell everyone what happens in it. Please don’t.” So, it was with great anticipation that I began to read.

 The first half tells how the central characters, Riley and Nadine meet. However, the description of life in pre war London and the differences in class don’t draw the reader in. The characters were likeable at best and bland at worst.

As the war takes hold, the contrast between the life for the soldiers in the trenches in France and their waiting families in England is stark, but you are left wondering where it is all going.

However, the pace and intensity of the story increase towards the middle when it reaches a fast boil; from then the story becomes utterly captivating.

Riley is wounded and sent to the Queen’s hospital in Sidcup to recover. Here he is treated by the (non-fictional) surgeon , Major Harold Gillies. The surgery is absolutely fascinating (graphic and shocking at times). The contrast between the personal battles fought by the characters and the war is powerfully and sensitively written.  The title comes from the standard issue postcard wounded soldiers sent to their families; the “slight injury” indicated by Riley becomes the first of several lies told.

Much of the remaining story is told through the correspondence between characters in London and France, and it is these letters that make you desperate to know more.

Throughout the second half of the book I found myself reaching for the tissues; and as the book came to a close I was left wanting more- to know how their lives turned out, if they triumphed over their inner demons.

So, would I recommend it? Most definitely. A complex love story set against the horrors of the first world war, a story of personal battles and hopelessness. A story of friendship, loyalty and hope. I shall certainly look out for more books by this author.