The Story of the Lost Child - Elena Ferrante

I rated this book 8/10

Against the backdrop of a Naples that is as seductive as it is perilous and a world undergoing epochal change, the story of a lifelong friendship is told with unmatched honesty and brilliance. The four volumes in this series constitute a long remarkable story that readers will return to again and again, and every return will bring with it new revelations.

A beautifully bleak conclusion to the Neapolitan Novels.

The Neapolitan novels absorbed me from the very first book, and rarely have I been so enchanted by a cast of characters. Ferrante's writing is brutal, honest and full of depth, allowing the reader to really fall in to the difficulties of growing up and starting a family in Naples from the 50s to the present day.

Lila and Elena are friends and rivals - constantly clashing with each other or sharing emotional moments together. In this, the fourth book, they are arguing more often than they are civil to each other. 

'The Story of the Lost Child' took me a good long time to read in comparison to the first three, it was much more difficult to digest, and towards the end the real heartbreak is apparent. I rarely find myself with a "book hangover", but I did feel a sense of loss when I realised that I had finished the last sentence.

This touching and deeply crafted story makes for bleak and beautiful reading. Start at book one 'My Brilliant Friend'.

Thank you to Turnaround Books for the Advanced Proof Copy.

Available at Waterstones

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay - Elena Ferrante

I rated this book 10/10

Elena and Lila, the two girls whom readers first met in My Brilliant Friend, have become women. Both women are pushing against the walls of a prison that would have seem them living a life of mystery, ignorance and submission. They are afloat on the great sea of opportunities that opened up during the nineteen-seventies. Yet they are still very much bound to see each other by a strong, unbreakable bond.

"Each of us narrates our life as it suits us." - Lila Cerullo

I am completely entranced by The Neapolitan Novels. This, the third book in the series is as absorbing as the two before it. Elena and Lila are in their mid twenties to early thirties and are struggling with their individual families and dilemmas. Elena still holds Lila on a pedestal and she still finds herself drawn to her best friend despite their many bitter disagreements.

The books are meant to be read in order. Elena and Lila often refer back to events that occurred in books one and two - reminding the reader that they have been along for the journey right from the very beginning.

It is difficult to describe the brutal honesty with which Ferrante pens Elena's thoughts and feelings - the fact that a lot of people don't like the characters to me feels like Ferrante has done her job well. They're not meant to be liked; they're meant to be human. I would love to read these novels through the eyes of Lila to compare how they view their experiences.

This is the only series I have ever read that I will really miss once I finish the fourth and final book. 

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 Story of a New Name - Elena Ferrante

I rated this 10/10...

The second book, following 2012’s acclaimed My Brilliant Friend, featuring the two friends Lila and Elena. The two protagonists are now in their twenties. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila. Meanwhile, Elena continues her journey of self-discovery. The two young women share a complex and evolving bond that brings them close at times, and drives them apart at others. 

The Neapolitan Series is absorbing, dramatic, perfect...

I loved the first book in this series and was lucky to be sent the second from the publisher in exchange for honest feedback.

The Neapolitan series makes for compulsive reading - once you learn a little about Elena and Lila as children, you're in it for the long haul. The second book 'The Story of a New Name' follows the girls as they are grown up and take different paths in life - finding themselves seeking each other out on occasion despite their mixed feelings towards each other. They are both adults now and still they are destined to compete emotionally, leading to very turbulent scenes.

A market place in Naples, 1950s

Elena and Lila's lives continue through marriage, affairs, university and motherhood - with their on and off friendship being the backdrop of it all. Throw in a beach holiday with star crossed romance and you have a rich saga that is so difficult to tear away from.

I am particularly drawn to the narrator, Elena - she is still struggling to 'find' herself and to accept herself for who she is; she compares herself to other women and other students often - easily influenced by those who are more successful than she is or may seem to have more going for them in their lives than she has. Ferrante expertly mirrors the turmoil that a lot of young people have in accepting themselves and moving on.

The book is full of whirlwind drama and unstable characters, and Ferrante writes with a power and intimacy that brings the grit of every day 50s and 60s Naples to life. The realism and depth of the situations that the characters find themselves in suggest to me that Ferrante uses a lot of personal experience to write her novels. Well worth a read and it's perfect for summer - start at book 1 'My Brilliant Friend'.

(Thank you to Turnaround UK for the reading copy.)

@turnarounduk

Available at Waterstones

My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante

I rated this book 10/10...

A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship.

A stark, honest exploration of friendship in 50's Naples

Elena Greco is endlessly fascinated by her friend Lila, the daughter of a shoemaker and a flame that everybody else in their rundown area of Naples also seems drawn to. 'My Brilliant Friend' explores the lives of these two girls growing up in the midst of violence, where women are valued mostly for their housework and child-bearing capabilities above all else; where families and gangs have a 'get them before they get us' mentality. The violence and squabbling is relentless throughout, and is practised by pretty much everybody living in the neighbourhood. Men beat their wives, girls throw rocks at boys, brothers punch sisters - life is a constant battle to settle scores or show who is boss.

As Elena and Lila grow up, their paths take different routes. Elena manages to secure her place in school and continues to study, whereas Lila (who excels the other students in every way) has to leave school in order to help her family at home. Still Elena's life is entwined with Lila's and they remain inseparable. The twist at the very end was brilliant and I will definitely be picking up book 2 to read on holiday in Italy.

Ferrante's style is very honest. There are no frivolities and she doesn't waste time on lengthy prose or description. Despite 'My Brilliant Friend' being almost exclusively character-driven rather than plot-driven, there never seems to be a lull in the flow of the book. Ferrante throws numerous characters together but it never seems to be too much. It's a real pleasure to read and the perfect work of summertime escapism.

'My Brilliant Friend' is the first of the Neapolitan series by the elusive Elena Ferrante, who can only be speculated over as she remains a mystery to the media and readers alike. She doesn't partake in face to face interviews, instead writing to few journalists via letters. Some have suggested that Ferrante could be a male writer, but her letters have once or twice eluded to her being a mother. Whatever the mystery, the first book in this saga is a wonderful read and I would recommend it as one to add to your TBR list this summer.

The fourth and final book in the Neapolitan series will be out in September 2015.

(Reading copy kindly given to me in exchange for honest feedback by Turnaround Publishing)

Sacred Country - Rose Tremain

I rated this book 8/10...

"I have a secret to tell you, dear, and this is it: I am not Mary. That is a mistake. I am not a girl. I'm a boy." Mary's fight to become Martin, her claustrophobic small town, and her troubled family make up the core of this remarkable and intimate, emotional yet unsentimental novel. 

'Sacred Country' is a wonderful read about gender identification in the 50s-70s, and sexuality. It doesn't go as deeply into the emotions that Martin feels as I would like, but there is definitely a real sense of anguish and despair throughout the novel, as his family (particularly his father) reject his transition from Mary to Martin.

The characters are all very well written, mostly hopeless and self absorbed in their small country farm village. Despite this, you do feel for them and want life to improve for them. There is the odd unexpected event here and there - one of which I didn't feel was believable for the character, but I won't spoil the story.

I was absorbed by this book and ploughed my way through it. Not ordinarily an author I would pick up but I was hooked by the blurb and I'm glad I did. Well worth reading, and would be perfect for those that like a bit more depth to their summer paperbacks.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

I rated this book 9/10...

A murder mystery, family saga, love story, and a tale of financial intrigue wrapped into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

I waited so long to read this book and find out what the fuss is about and I was pleasantly surprised. Stieg Larsson has thrown together some fabulous characters at no cost to the winding plot. Let's face it, Salander is one of the most kick-ass female characters you'll find in a crime novel, she even rides a 125 Kawasaki. She refuses to be a victim, even when she is a victim.

I enjoyed the twists, and although it took a while to set the scene and the characters, it was worth sticking with through to the end. There were some very disturbing scenes to get through, so not one for the faint hearted, but they didn't seem to be put in place solely for the shock value. Unfortunately, Larsson didn't completely detach his writing from the popular 'woman as victim' theme - but that was my only gripe.

If you haven't already read this book (and I'm sure you have), it's worth putting on the TBR pile and getting stuck in.

A new book featuring Larsson's characters is due out in August 2015. That Which Does Not Kill has been written by David Lagercrantz as Larsson sadly died of a heart attack in 2004 aged 50.

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 Girl with all the Gifts - M. R. Carey

I rated this book 10/10

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

'The Girl with all the Gifts' is a zombie novel with a big twist, and the stereotypes that are assumed from the phrase 'Zombie Novel' should be overlooked in this instance. It's not your usual 'shopping centre siege' type of horror, and it doesn't really try to be.

This is more haunting and emotional, as it centres around children in particular. Set 20 years after the end of the world, Melanie is the young girl at the heart of this book, and her character is a strong one. The relationship between her and her teacher is disconcerting and eerie - the whole story has a strange feel to it that grips the reader all the same.

I would love to see the screenplay of this in the future. I think that Carey will do a great job of bringing his characters to life.

The Bees - Laline Paull

I rated this book 9/10

The Handmaid's Tale meets The Hunger Games in this brilliantly imagined debut set in an ancient culture where only the queen may breed and deformity means death.

Thrilling, suspenseful and spectacularly imaginative, The Bees gives us a dazzling young heroine and will change forever the way you look at the world outside your window.

Escape into a bizarre dystopian thriller based entirely on the life cycle of a bee. Flora is born a sanitation worker, the lowest on the hierarchy within the hive. This beautifully written novel follows her advance through the ranks. It's strange; unlike anything I've read before - such a simple idea so well executed.

I like the way that Paull captures the suffocating and claustrophobic feel of the hive, the bees living in such close proximity, as one body made from many. It has a hypnotic feel to it at times, and is easy to draw up the sights and smells that she describes throughout.

I'll admit that it was really weird at first, and I needed a few chapters to get used to the narrative, but soon enough I was absorbed and couldn't put it down. I think that this is set to be a big hit in paperback in the springtime.

Definitely worth a read.

I am Malala - Malala Yousafzai

I rated this book 10/10

I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world. 

I have rated this book with top marks, as it has taught me so much about Pakistan and the conflict that the country has faced and continues to do battle with. It also taught me a lot about the Muslim community in Pakistan, and squashed some of the myths that fly back and forth between the people that do not know any better.

Malala herself comes across as young, arrogant, strong willed and opinionated. Her morals and values are completely justified and positive, as she consistently articulates the importance of education for BOTH boys and girls clearly. She not only fights for the rights of women in her own country, but for the equality of people all over the world. A really fascinating young lady who has been greatly influenced by her father of whom she thinks very highly of.

Some critics seem to think that Malala is all talk and no action. This is simply not true, and even if it was, I think it would be almost irrelevant. Somebody with this kind of passion needed to stand up and shout about what was happening, bring the issue onto the bookshelves of ordinary people all over the world - and Malala did it. Ironically, the fact that she was shot in the face by the Taliban only served to give her a higher platform to stand on and oppose them from.

Malala's charity funding helps small communities to build the foundations for schooling and education for uneducated children. She invests her own money into that as well as campaigning for others to do the same. Visit www.malala.org to learn more.

Malala deserved the Nobel peace prize. I know that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but I truly believe that this book should be read by all.

The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris

I rated this 10/10

I understand now (though I haven't seen it) why the film adaptation of this book is raved about so much. After reading The Red Dragon, I wasn't expecting too much from this second book in the series, but I loved it and I can't believe it took me so long to bump this up to the top of my reading pile. I stumbled across this battered old copy on one of my parent's many bookshelves, and have since relocated it to my own. I intend to keep it - I don't think that they will mind...

Harris has the most fascinating writing style, and this is mostly shared with us through the character of Lecter. Lecter is absolutely terrifying and captivating at once, ruthless and intelligent, and one of the greatest characters I have stumbled across. A real pleasure to read around; blurring the lines between the notorious criminal and the insightful protagonist.

At the same time, Harris presents us with a handful of really strong female characters without losing any of the hard hitting action and without resorting to stereotypes. I really admire him for this - Harris is a brilliant author and I will be picking up the rest of this series, and watching the films soon!

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.

That Near Death Thing - Rick Broadbent

The broken man pushes a leftover
calzone around a plate in Paparazzi
and falls off the Verandah.

Rated 10/10

The Isle of Man TT is a throwback to a maverick era that existed before PR platitudes and PC attitudes. William Hill shortlisted author Rick Broadbent gets inside the helmets of four leading motorcycle racers as they battle fear, fire and family tragedy for a gritty sort of glory.

My Thoughts: I was already a fan of Rick Broadbent when I picked up his in depth account of the TT, as I had read his work on the Moto GP a while ago and adored it.

I was not disappointed this time round either. That Near Death Thing scoops you up from your seat, carries you over to The Isle of Man, and gives you a glimpse behind the visors of some of the most fearless men (and Jenny) in the world. But these guys would never see it that way - they just love racing, finding the pencil line that marks out their limit and stepping over it. Sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes they pay big time for these mistakes. Sometimes they get lucky and bring it home in one piece.

I could never say that I have a favourite rider as I respect every single one of them for their sheer gut and determination, and I believe Broadbent shares the same view. I love the way that he sheds light on the individual characters that he writes about - really opening my eyes to the differences between the riders, their passions, emotions, family feuds, what makes them tick. McGuinness and M.Dunlop are a mile apart when it comes to emotion and race ethic, and yet they scrape leathers on track and have the utmost respect for one another. Same goes for all of them.

I loved the way that Broadbent described the difference between road racers and circuit racers too. They are very much in different classes, but the passion for both is very much at the forefront of every single word.

I could read his observational descriptions all day - and I really hope that he is planning to write more on racing, though I get the feeling I would be happy enough to pick up any of his works, no matter the topic.

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

There will be no awakening.

Rated 10/10

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

My Thoughts: This book was powerful from the very first sentence. It's a dark and gritty teen read (though it has a maturity in style that adults will enjoy too). Relentless and full of action throughout, I actually couldn't put it down. 

The characters are strong, very strong; and as they are children from the age of 5 upwards, they are battling with self-discovery alongside the inconvenience of a full on alien invasion. But not the cheesy, big-eyed, hairless, green life forms you might see in an old film or tv programme - we're talking something a lot more sinister than that. Something that could really make your skin crawl...

What struck me the hardest about this novel was Yancey's style. It's no holds barred, grown up writing; short, sharp, shocking. 

Packed full of violence, death and the urge for survival; this is a book for those not too faint at heart. If you love grit and grime then this could be for you - might be best not to read in the dark...

The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides

"On the morning the last Lisbon
daughter took her turn at suicide-
it was Mary this time, and sleeping
pills, like Therese- the two paramedics
arrived at the house knowing exactly
where the knife drawer was, and the
gas oven, and the beam in the
basement from which it was possible
to tie a rope."

Rated 10/10

The shocking thing about the five Lisbon sisters was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only date of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters' breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear.

My Thoughts: A stunning, dark novel that captured me from the first word. Although you are given the conclusion of the story from the outset, the book never fails to impress. 

Eugenides drew me in with his description of the girls, who were not perfect - but were perfectly elusive, mysterious and very real. Their lives seemed so vivid and so easy to picture as his language was exquisite. I actually found it touching that the boys were so obsessed with these girls, and it all seemed so innocent as they kept their distance, observing and wondering, wanting to connect with these girls and never managing it, reminiscing even into their later lives. Writing about teenage girls in such a convincing manner takes a lot of skill, but the pains of adolescence are clear both from the girls perspective and the boy's too.

I think that people taking the title 'Virgin' Suicides too literally need to think a little more into the deeper connotations connected to the word. The girls were young, had no life experience, and yet cut their own lives short for reasons that nobody could fathom.

A chilling and yet beautiful tale of tragedy that it is easy to lose yourself in, Eugenides style is perfect - and I want to read more from him.

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

"Lolita,light of my life,
fire of my loins."

Rated 10/10

The book chronicles the life of its narrator and protagonist, Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged, fastidious college professor, focusing on his disastrous love affair with a young girl (he happens to like little girls), named Lolita, whom he'll do anything to possess. 

My Thoughts: Such a brilliantly written novel about a subject so terrible, and told through the eyes of a manipulative, destructive man. He tries to coerce the reader into sympathising with him, whilst all the time ruining the life of a young girl. He plays games with Lolita as he plays games with the reader. Isolates her, abuses her, blackmails her. Attempts to make us understand him. And it seems that some readers have actually been swayed by his immature obsessive ways.

An absolutely stunning read that I could not put down despite being horrified by it. Very well written, gripping and captivating and I can't help but hope that the writer had no life experience in the matter; he writes with such vivid style. Definitely one to read.

I have no idea why anyone could describe this novel as 'comic'. I don't quite know where the comedy lies. It is NEVER a child's fault, and (dear reader) it should NEVER be interpreted that way. The relationship in this book shouldn't be glamorised or romanticised. Adults hold a responsibility for protecting the health and well being of children, for teaching them morals and values and attempting to lead by example so that children can grow up forming their own happy and healthy relationships. This is one subject matter that I will always get on my soapbox for.

Ring of Fire - Rick Broadbent

"It is the unusual that makes
sport such and addictive drug"

Date Finished: 20th June 2012

Ring of Fire is an insider’s account of the acclaim, heroism and pressures of being a MotoGP racer. It is a high-octane revelation of the feuds, danger, politics and adrenaline inside MotoGP World Motorcycling Championship.

My Thoughts: I adored this book. It is really well written - Broadbent is a master of weaving the spectrum of events together with all of the drama and focus that the sport deserves. He captures every moment as if there were a camera set up right there. He gives me access to the side of the riders that I don't see on track and it makes me love them more.

Ring of Fire entertained me to no end and I'm so pleased that he has a new book out about the TT. It appeared instantly on my 'to-read' list and I'm really looking forward to it.

A magic little book that I would recommend to any casual or avid motorsport fan.

I RATED IT 10/10

A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway

Date Finished: 30th November 2011

Hemingway's memories of his life as an unknown writer living in Paris in the 1920s are deeply personal, warmly affectionate and full of wit. Looking back not only at his own much younger self, but also at the other writers who shared Paris with him - literary 'stars' like James Joyce, Wyndham Lewis, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein - he recalls the time when, poor, happy and writing in cafes, he discovered his vocation.

My Thoughts: I loved this. Picked it up on a lunch break because I had temporarily lost the book that I was in the middle of reading, and I found that I couldn't put it down.

I love Hemingway's style; the way that he describes people is breathtaking and it is quite obvious that he has the art of observation nailed. It's a short read, the perfect length for the laid back feel of the book and I was drawn in to the atmosphere right from the first page.

Definitely a classic to put on everybody's 'to-read' list.

I RATED IT 10/10

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