The Confectioner's Tale - Laura Madeleine

I rated this 6/10...

At the famous Patisserie Clermont in Paris, 1909, a chance encounter with the owner's daughter has given one young man a glimpse into a life he never knew existed: of sweet cream and melted chocolate, golden caramel and powdered sugar, of pastry light as air.

But it is not just the art of confectionery that holds him captive, and soon a forbidden love affair begins.

Almost eighty years later, an academic discovers a hidden photograph of her grandfather as a young man with two people she has never seen before. Scrawled on the back of the picture are the words 'Forgive me'. Unable to resist the mystery behind it, she begins to unravel the story of two star-crossed lovers and one irrevocable betrayal.

Laura transports us back and forth between Paris in 1910 and Cambridge in 1988.

It's a book of two halves interlinked, the Parisian story and description is beautiful; well written, dramatic and full of the sensory marvels of a French Patisserie. These parts of the book would get 8 out of 10 from me. The three central characters are well written and charming: Jeanne is the daughter of the wealthy businessman who owns Patisserie Clermont, Gui is an ambitious young railroad worker looking for something more. Throw a new friend Jim into the mix with a backdrop of choux pastry and macarons, and there is the perfect set up for an easy holiday read that will be perfect for trips to Paris.

The other half of the story, set in England, is not quite as magnificent and could have been cut out altogether. Towards the end you will find yourself skipping through these parts to get to Paris, and it feels a bit like filler to pad out the scandal that happens in France. You can happily read the story without hearing from Petra as she tries to work out what big secret her grandfather was ashamed of all those years ago.

All in all, 'The Confectioner's Tale' is a wonderful debut for anybody that wants to be whipped up into a historic, Parisian tale of powdered sugar and forbidden romance.

Available at Waterstones

The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan

I rated this book 10/10...

Taking its title from 17th-century haiku poet Basho's travel journal, The Narrow Road To The Deep North is about the impossibility of love. At its heart is one day in a Japanese slave labour camp in August 1943. As the day builds to its horrific climax, Dorrigo Evans battles and fails in his quest to save the lives of his fellow POWs, a man is killed for no reason, and a love story unfolds. 

Richard Flanagan, weaving together the personal and professional life of Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans, brings us a dark and touching insight into the horrors of the Burma Death Railway.

Written in the style of a war hero reminiscing about his past, Dorrigo finds himself in the midst of the second world war, caught up in a forbidden affair with his uncle’s headstrong wife. He visits her rather than his own fiancee whenever he has leave, and begins to become absorbed in his love for Amy above most other things. The novel takes a dramatic turn when two years later Dorrigo is captured by the Japanese as a Prisoner of War working on the Burma Death Railway. He is expected to lead a large group of fellow prisoners as they work on building the railway to impossible deadlines and in impossible conditions. Dorrigo is forced to get ever more work out of his fellow captives, even as they are dying around him of exhaustion, starvation and cholera; and he finds himself setting up and running a makeshift hospital for the camp alongside his other duties to his men.

Flanagan writes with a beauty that brings the horrors of the POW camp and the characters that suffer there to life. There are many symbolic gestures laced throughout the narrative - handwritten letters, red camellias and pencil sketches that resonate long after the book has finished, and the link to poetry from the start brings endless depth to the prose. The grit and gore of the Prisoner of War camp is followed by severe emptiness as Flanagan explores the emotions of both the prisoners and the Japanese soldiers after the war is over. Here he expertly sets out the contrast between the two lives - when the men begin to realise that nothing they ever experience will be as intense or meaningful again.

Flanagan’s novel becomes all the more poignant when we find out that it was written in tribute to his father, an Australian prisoner of war who survived his experiences on the Burma Death Railway. His father sadly passed away on the day that Flanagan finished writing his book.

'The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ was well deserving of the Man Booker Prize last year and is now out in paperback, although there is something quite pleasing about the hardback edition.

The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton

I rated this book 7/10

On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways...

I felt like I really had to read this, and maybe that's where this book fell down for me straight away. It's not my usual style, but I'd heard enough about it to be coaxed into picking it up the other day and got stuck straight in.

It starts well enough; the pages turn and the plot unfolds quickly - I never really felt connected to the main protagonist, Nella in any way shape or form at the beginning, and to me the author struggles to have Nella's character develop in a rather rushed and strained manner. I didn't have any sympathy for her towards the end either, she just didn't seem to have much personality. The secondary characters are Jessie's real strength, feeling a little less forced and a lot more well rounded despite their shifty secret-keeping.

And the Miniaturist - this is the bit that gets me - so central to the theme of the book but could have been left out completely! In fact, if the Miniaturist and everything about it had been left out of this novel I think I would have been more absorbed by it; I think the plot would have been more credible and nothing much about it would have had to change. The Miniaturist had no real effect on any of the events as they unfolded and there was no real explanation for it either. This to me is a major fail.

If I ignore the 'Miniaturist' element (how could I!?!) then Jessie's book is very readable. It's dark and twisted and sheds light on the lives of women during the 1600s in Amsterdam. It's the perfect winter read - cold and heartless and heartbreaking. There isn't much hope or light between the pages, but if you like your books to be gritty, centred on strong women and steeped in history then this might be for you.

Mystery in White - J. Jefferson Farjeon

I rated this book 5/10

On Christmas Eve, heavy snowfall brings a train to a halt near the village of Hemmersby. Several passengers take shelter in a deserted country house, where the fire has been lit and the table laid for tea – but no one is at home. 

Trapped together for Christmas, the passengers are seeking to unravel the secrets of the empty house when a murderer strikes in their midst. 

A very old fashioned mystery set in the 1930s that was fairly quick to read. A strange group of people find themselves stranded on a train in the snow on Christmas Eve. They decide to leave the train and soon find an abandoned house, in which the novel is set and a bizarre mystery unfolds.

At some parts near the end I did get a bit lost, as the book seemed to take a rather long time to set itself up and then crashed towards a conclusion at the end. Most of it didn't feel tied up either, but that said, it was a pleasant break from the norm and will appeal to fans of 'cosy' crime mysteries.

Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

I rated this 8/10

No one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals. Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer." Mrs. Sucksby’s household also hosts a transient family of petty thieves--fingersmiths--for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

I really loved the first half of this book, it was absorbing and I found myself lost between the pages. And the shocker at the end of part one was just brilliant - maybe I'm naive for not seeing it coming. The following descriptions of life in the 1800s were enchanting, and I felt as though she captured the atmosphere really well. Sue and Maud are great female protagonists, each strong in their own ways and each with their own flaws. I found myself connecting with them and caring for them both.

But once all of this has passed and part two is a fair way in, I started getting a little put off with the ensuing complexity of Sue and Maud's tale. It felt a bit weak (without giving anything away) when the truth eventually came out in full.

And so I think in all I was a little disappointed by Fingersmith, but Waters writing style is simply stunning, and so I will probably pick up more of her books if I come across them.

When The Eagle Hunts - Simon Scarrow

"The heaving tumult around
the ship was frozen for an instant
by sheet lightning."

Rated 10/10

It is the winter of AD 44 and after a series of bloody battles, Camulodunum (modern day Colchester) has fallen to the invading Roman army...

My Thoughts: Wow! Definitely the best addition to the Macro/Cato series so far.

Throughout these epic novels, Scarrow seamlessly switches from the personal POV of Macro and Cato to the view point of the army as a whole, to the ongoing invasion of Britain, and back again without a glitch. It's very cleverly done and keeps you hanging on to every word. He doesn't bombard the reader with technicality or historical terms that might leave people like myself scratching their heads over it - but he includes enough for the more studied in Roman history to really get their teeth into. I really admire his style for this - it is quite some skill.

As for 'When The Eagle Hunts', it's a fast and furious read with non-stop action and dilemma. Scarrow doesn't really need to set his main protagonists up, however he does describe their roots enough for new readers to be able to enjoy it without going too far and re-explaining everything.

Although Scarrow's plotline hides fresh suspense round every corner, his characters are immense and really enjoyable to follow. New faces Boudica and Prasutagus are very well-rounded and likeable, alongside some of the more familiar comrades (Vespasian for example, with his softer qualities but stern exterior is a particular favourite of mine). Scarrow gives even the most minor of characters a full bodied personality, and it's for this reason that the reader can easily grow attached to the likes of Maxentius and Diomedes despite them only appearing for a handful of pages.

Macro's touch of brutal humour is always welcome to break up the more serious and bloodied battles that are consistently encountered, and the way that the great Prasutagus is revealed as the novel continues only adds to this relief. And Cato - Cato got awesome!!!

It's not often that a series gets even better as it goes along, but Scarrow is a master of his genre and I'm looking forward to The Eagle And The Wolves.

The Black Death - John Hatcher

"The thousands of ordinary
parish priests who ministered
to their flocks in fourteenth-
century England have left
scarcely a trace of their lives in
any surviving records."

Rated 6.8/10  (a good read)

In this fresh approach to the history of the Black Death, John Hatcher, a world-renowned scholar of the Middle Ages, recreates everyday life in a mid-fourteenth century rural English village. By focusing on the experiences of ordinary villagers as they lived - and died - during the Black Death (1345 - 50 AD), Hatcher vividly places the reader directly into those tumultuous years and describes in fascinating detail the day-to-day existence of people struggling with the tragic effects of the plague. Dramatic scenes portray how contemporaries must have experienced and thought about the momentous events - and how they tried to make sense of it all.

My Thoughts: I was drawn to this book for the simple reason that I wanted  to broaden my knowledge a little. I mostly read fiction as an escape method, but this book looked like it would both let me escape and also teach me a bit along the way. It managed to succeed at both of these things. 

The Black Death did lose my interest a little in places and wasn't quite as gritty with the detail as I had expected. There was a lot of focus on religion, which I wasn't so keen on, and I would have enjoyed a peasant farmer as the main character of the book, rather than a parish priest. Obviously, religion was the main focus of society in the 1300s, and so the choice of character was fitting, but maybe a bit more narration from different people's daily lives could have been added.

There were times towards the end of the book, when Hatcher was going through lists of names and families by way of Blakey and other similar characters speaking out to a court to resolve heritage and land issues. I think that much of this could have been summarised to keep my mind from straying. There are only so many Williams and Agnes's that I can read about before I lose all care for how much land each one is inheriting, or not as the case may be.

Having said all of this, although I knew what was coming, I still found myself glued to the pages. This is a really clever way of making history a pleasure to read. I won't read it again, but I am glad that I picked it up.

Theme: 5/5
Historical metafiction (or 'historic faction' as my manager likes to call it), is definitely the best way to tumble back a couple of hundred years.

Plot: 5/5
You can't really argue with someone explaining away one of the biggest events in world history.

Characters: 1/5
I wanted the characters to be a lot more in depth. I wanted to know what they wore, what their houses were really like, and how actual day to day living changed due to the plague. And I know that a lot of forenames were repeated in the 1300s, but there were too many Williams and Agnes's and Johns to keep track of.

Setting: 3/5 
A busy little village - not much to say positively or negatively here.

Style: 3/5
Kept me reading and was very interesting, but could have been more in depth and a little less religiously focussed.

Overall: 6.8/10

The Virgin Cure - Ami McKay

Date Finished: 23rd April 2012

The summer Moth turns twelve, her mother puts a halt to her explorations by selling her boots to a local vendor, convinced that Moth was planning to run away. Wanting to make the most of her every asset, she also sells Moth to a wealthy woman as a servant, with no intention of ever seeing her again.

My Thoughts: Read as uncorrected proof. This was a fairly quick easy to read historic novel with a dark and dangerous plotline and some pretty good characters. I enjoyed reading it, it satisfied the (well-hidden) typical girl in me and I loved the little descriptions of stunning dresses, jewellery and luxurious houses. I found it very visually appealing.

The book builds up to a really quite shocking scene towards the end, and because I felt for the characters, it disturbed me a bit. A sign that this book had me hooked!

I RATED IT 8/10

Lion of the Sun - Harry Sidebottom

Date Finished: 3rd March 2012

In Mesopotamia, AD 260, Ballista faces yet another enemy, the man the Syrians call The Lion of the Sun, in this third novel in the 'Warrior of Rome' series. Betrayed by his most trusted adviser, Roman Emperor Valerian has been captured by the Sassanid barbarians. The shame of the vanquished beats down mercilessly like the desert sun as the frail old emperor prostrates himself before Sharpur, king of kings. Ballista looks on helplessly but vows under his breath to avenge those who have brought the empire to the brink of destruction with their treachery.

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Warrior of Rome series - a set of books that I adore. Ballista and his entourage are fantastic characters and I had very high expectations of this upon finishing the first two reads.

I was a little disappointed that Ballista's entourage don't feature in this as much as the last two. It wasn't quite full of the comradary and warmth that is conjured up through the relationships between Ballista and his bodyguard Maximus, his secretary Demetrius and his minder Calgacus.

On top of this, I found the plot line a lot more difficult to follow. It was more focussed on politics and less on action.

Having said this - the ending of Lion of the Sun is fantastic and well worth the struggle to get to it. I didn't really get pulled into the build up but it really was good. I've had customers pick this book up before the first two and then coming back and asking me for Fire in the East. Those who know a lot about Ancient Rome will absolutely adore it and will probably find that it flows a little more easily for them.

One other point to note is that Ballista's wife Julia is a brilliant character and she really does flourish in Lion of the Sun. She is strong, calm and level headed, and can really hold her own. I would love to read a Kate Quinn-esque novel revolving around Julia and the children. It would be ace.

All in all, a good read, but overshadowed by its predecessors.
I RATED THIS 6/10

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

Date Read: August 2011

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

My Thoughts: Read as uncorrected proof. This book is very addictive, once I picked it up I found it pretty tricky to put down. An easy-read twist on a classic Greek legend that is astonishing, touching and will leave you with a bit of a lump in your throat. I love the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus that Miller builds, it has such strength and honesty - it was easy to fall in love with their characters and watch them grow together. This is less a tale of war and Gods, and more a tale of love and honour.

The only reason that I refrained from giving this book 10 stars is because it brushes very briefly over some events that really should have had more of an impact on the characters. However, a good strong read that I believe will be enjoyed by many.

I RATED THIS 9/10

The Eagle's Conquest - Simon Scarrow

Date Read: May 2011

When Centurion Macro and his young subordinate, Optio Cato arrive on the shores of Britain to take part in the Emperor Claudius' invasion in AD 43, Macro knows the desperately outnumbered Roman army will be facing one of the toughest campaigns ever. Meanwhile, a sinister organization is secretly betraying the brave men of the legions. When assassination rumors coincide with the Emperor's arrival, the soldiers realize they are up against a force more ruthless than the Britons, and that time is running out if they are to prevent Claudius's glorious victory from turning to disaster.

My Thoughts: The second book that follows Macro and Cato is almost as good as the first, but not quite. Here we see Cato really finding out what it's like to be a man - standing on his own two feet, suffering betrayal, triumph and yet more betrayal...

Scarrow never fails to keep me hooked, with Macro's skill and brutality, and Cato's underlying bravery - and I can really see his characters growing and look forward to reading more.

I RATED IT 8/10

Under the Eagle - Simon Scarrow

Date Read: June 2010

It is 42 AD, and Quintus Licinius Cato has just arrived in Germany as a new recruit to the Second Legion, the toughest in the Roman army. If adjusting to the rigours of military life isn't difficult enough for the bookish young man, he also has to contend with the disgust of his colleagues when, because of his imperial connections, he is appointed a rank above them.
My Thoughts: After reading historic Roman fiction by Harry Sidebottom and being completely entranced by it, I figured that the next step would be one of our bestselling authors - Scarrow's books have always had brilliant reviews by our customers and I wanted to try for myself.

I loved it!

Macro and Cato are awesome characters - I especially love the brutality of Macro's wit and the way that we can watch Cato grow before our very eyes. I found myself submerged right into the midsts of the Roman army, could feel the grit and terror.

The twists are pretty good, and the ending is not a disappointing one either.

I RATED THIS 9/10

Mortlock - Jon Mayhew

Date Read: June 2010

The sister is a knife-thrower in a magician's stage act, the brother an undertaker's assistant. Neither orphan knows of the other's existence. Until, that is, three terrible aunts descend on the girl's house and imprison her guardian, the Great Cardamom. His dying act is to pass the girl a note with clues to the secret he carries to his grave.

My Thoughts: The Victorian streets are rife with knife throwers, evil old ladies, a deadly circus and so much more. A really chilling but edgy tale for kids of all ages to step back in time with (and adults too). Pretend you're twelve and read it under the quilt cover with a torch...

I RATED IT 8/10

Mistress of Rome - Kate Quinn

Date Read: April 2010

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

My Thoughts: I read this as a pre-publication proof and was astounded by Quinn's talent for bringing her characters and stories to life! I'm a sucker for a strong hero with a shady past and gladiator Arius fits this description precisely. He quickly became one of my favourites.

Quinn tells her tale through the perspectives of different protagonists and antagonists, and this really puts an interesting spin on everything. All of the sub-plots weave together into a brilliant crescendo and had me desperate to keep on reading even after I had to leave the last page. An awesome debut.

I RATED THIS 10/10

King of Kings - Harry Sidebottom

Date Read: February 2010

In 256 A.D., the specter of treachery hangs ominously over the Roman Empire. The sparks of Christian fervor have spread through the empire like wildfire, and the imperium is alive with the machinations of dangerous and powerful men. All the while, Sassanid forces press forward relentlessly along the eastern frontier. The battle-bloodied General Ballista returns to the imperial court from the fallen city of Arete only to find that there are those who would rather see him dead than alive. Ballista is soon caught in a sinister web of intrigue and religious fanaticism, and his courage and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test in the service of Rome and the emperor.

My Thoughts: I think that the first in this series was brilliant and so I read the second with a slight amount of caution and absolutely loved it. I am desperate for the third book to be published now - I just can't get enough of this heroic Roman warrior and his entourage...

I RATED IT 8/10

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Date Read: February 2010

Death, a sardonic and articulate character who is afraid of humans, narrates this WWII coming-of-age story about faith, love, hope amidst tragedy.

My Thoughts: The only book that has ever made me cry. The Book Thief is the most beautifully crafted read, as told by Death himself (who has much more to him than you would imagine). Zusak has such a stark and colourful way with words that quite often I found myself nodding with approval at the pages. His characters come to full life and the settings are vivid and very real.

This is a book to immerse yourself in completely; it will run you right through every emotion and back again, dealing with friendship, love, loss and death in the most delicate and touching way possible.

Heart breaking and heart warming all at once.

I RATED THIS 10/10

Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper

Date Read: September 2009

The most shocking secret in the history of mankind is about to be revealed...
A murderer is on the loose on the streets of New York City: nicknamed the Doomsday Killer, he's claimed six victims in just two weeks, and the city is terrified. Even worse, the police are mystified: the victims have nothing in common, defying all profiling, and all that connects them is that each received a sick postcard in the mail before they died - a postcard that announced their date of death.

My Thoughts: I thought that this book was amazing - Will was a well-rounded character, and the flips back in time kept the story interesting and flowing nicely. I absolutely loved the ending (which is always important as it made me want to get the next one).

The way that the plot laces together and ties up at the end is fascinating - it left me with a bit of a chill down my spine and I couldn't help but smile at the cleverness of it all as I closed the book after reading the last page.

An awesome read - definitely one to be recommended. Specially if you love a bit of mystery and want something that is going to get your brain ticking over.

I RATED IT 10/10

Fire in the East - Harry Sidebottom

Date Read: July 2009

AD 255—the Roman imperium is stretched to the breaking point, its authority and might challenged throughout the territories and along every border. One man is sent to marshal the defenses of a lonely city and to shore up the crumbling walls of a once indomitable symbol of Roman power, a man whose very name means war: a man called Ballista. So unfolds an epic drama — a story of empire, heroes, treachery, courage, and most of all, of brutal, bloody warfare.

My Thoughts: Warrior of Rome - Fire in the East, was the very first book of Roman fiction that I picked up and I definitely was not disappointed. Harry brings you right into the world of Ballista and his entourage, and you experience the twists and turns and betrayals first hand.

Ballista is a very strong character, and this most certainly is the main driving force behind my adoration of the books.
I RATED IT 10/10

Pride and Pejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame Smith + Jane Austen

Date Read: January 2009

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life!

My Thoughts: This book, after reading the first few pages, seemed to me to be a little flat. The idea of zombies appeared as merely a side-story, an afterthought. I have never read the original Pride and Prejudice, but you could put the words 'And Zombies' at the end of any book title and I'd pick it up.

My first impressions, in hindsight, took a huge smack in the face as I became drawn into the plot, the tongue-in-cheek humour and occasional innuendo that laced the story. Along with the odd bit of violence and diversion from reality, the characters are well written and very likeable. Elizabeth appears as a ninjaesque heroine alongside her zombieslaying sisters. This novel really did not put a foot wrong and merged the idea of a classic tale with a twist almost seamlessly. PPZ has everything you're going to need - comedy, action, romance and ZOMBIES!!!!

P.S: Although I am not one to be drawn into tale of romance usually, I definitely want my own Mr Darcy.

Recommendation: If you are willing to read something that needs a little more concentration and attention than some other books, love zombies, or haven't read Pride and Prejudice yet - you might be pleasently surprised.

I RATED THIS 10/10

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Date Read: Unknown

Summoning up more than 20 years of Japan's most dramatic history, the geisha's story uncovers a hidden world of eroticism and enchantment, exploitation and degradation. It moves from a small fishing village in 1929 to the glamorous and decadent Kyoto of the 30s and on to postwar New York.

My Thoughts: I remember my stepdad handing me this book when I was around about 13, and I became engrossed in it straight away. Arthur Golden paints such a vibrant and vivid background, and then fills it with all kinds of colourful (and very real) people in a completely different world to our own.

With a bucketful of romance and a twist of jealousy laced into the plot - This book will always resonate with me on the deepest of levels: and I believe I was at the perfect age and time of my life to read it. A very wise decision to pass it on to me at that point.

I RATED IT 10/10