Friday 31 March 2017

History Of The Rain by Niall Williams


History of the Rain by Niall Williams
First published by Bloomsbury in the UK in April 2014.

One of my WorldReads from Ireland
One of my Top Ten Books of 2016

How I got this book:
Borrowed from my partner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


We are our stories. We tell them to stay alive or keep alive those who only live now in the telling. In Faha, County Clare, everyone is a long story...
Bedbound in her attic room beneath the falling rain, in the margin between this world and the next, Plain Ruth Swain is in search of her father. To find him, enfolded in the mystery of ancestors, Ruthie must first trace the jutting jaw lines, narrow faces and gleamy skin of the Swains from the restless Reverend Swain, her great-grandfather, to grandfather Abraham, to her father, Virgil – via pole-vaulting, leaping salmon, poetry and the three thousand, nine hundred and fifty eight books piled high beneath the two skylights in her room, beneath the rain.
The stories – of her golden twin brother Aeney, their closeness even as he slips away; of their dogged pursuit of the Swains' Impossible Standard and forever falling just short; of the wild, rain-sodden history of fourteen acres of the worst farming land in Ireland – pour forth in Ruthie's still, small, strong, hopeful voice. A celebration of books, love and the healing power of the imagination, this is an exquisite, funny, moving novel in which every sentence sings.

I have Dave to thank for introducing me to the work of Irish writer Niall Williams. He, Dave, downloaded this novel, History Of The Rain, months ago and has since gone on to read and thoroughly enjoy three or four others. I am just starting to catch up and, as you can probably guess from my five star rating, wish I hadn't left this book so long unread.

History Of The Rain is narrated by teenage Ruth, a bedridden Irish girl afflicted by an unknown ailment that is best described early on as Something Puzzling. Ruth uses random capitalisation throughout the book as a means of emphasis and I loved the device. It is never overdone, but is often very humorous and gently sarcastic. From her attic room under a permanently rainy sky (I read the book over a Bank Holiday weekend and so could strongly empathise with the constant rain!), Ruth casts her mind across the history of her family and the lives of her friends and neighbours. In a change from coming-of-age novels, I think of this as more of a coming-to-be storyline. We read about Ruth' parents' courtship and how their ancestry led them to meet, and about Ruth and her brother's childhood in a family where her mother and grandmother worked constantly to keep a roof over their heads while her poet father strived but failed to make a success of their farm.

Williams has a fantastic ear for natural dialogue. This, together with Ruth's familiar narrative style, made it easy for me to believe in the Irish town he has created and its very real people. His descriptions of the homes, surrounding countryside and lifestyles are sharply observed and, although not everything is pleasant, I think the overall effect gives a fascinating portrait of contemporary Ireland. Historical elements gave the novel a sense of timelessness, but inclusion of present-day disasters such as the banking crisis fallout and badly-thought-out political decisions add a modern edge and I liked the contrasts. History Of The Rain isn't a light, fluffy tale of Ireland where everything comes right over a cup of tea at the end. I found some events quite upsetting, although I was then frequently giggling at one of Ruth's turns of phrase within pages. On finishing the story I felt quite bereft and will definitely be picking up another Niall Williams book soon.

Etsy Find!
by Fine Jewellery Ireland in
Newtownards, Northern Ireland

Click pic to visit Etsy Shop


Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Niall Williams / Contemporary fiction / Books from Ireland

Thursday 30 March 2017

Butterfly On The Storm by Walter Lucius


Butterfly On The Storm by Walter Lucius

First published in Dutch as De Vlinder En De Storm in the Netherlands by Bruna Uitgevers in 2013. English language translation by Laura Vroomen and Lorraine T Miller published by Michael Joseph today, the 30th March 2017.

One of my WorldReads from the Netherlands

Where to buy this book:



How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

'When a simple hit and run turns into a murder investigation, Journalist Farah Hafez finds herself pulled into a sinister world where nothing is as it seems. Butterfly On The Storm is the first book in the bestselling Dutch thriller series The Heartland Trilogy.

A young boy is found in woods outside Amsterdam. Broken and bloody, he appears to be the victim of a brutal hit-and-run. When the police at the hospital ask what happened, the one word the boy repeats they don't understand. But journalist Farah Hafez does. She left Afghanistan as a child and she recognizes her native tongue. As the boy is taken into surgery she finds herself visiting the scene of the crime, seeking to discover how a little Afghan boy came to be so far from home. Instead, she comes across a burnt-out car with two bodies inside - a sinister clue to something far darker than a simple road accident. It is just the start of a journey that will lead her from one twisted strand to another in an intricate web of crime and corruption that stretches across Europe and deep into a past that Farah had sought to escape - a past that nearly killed her.'

Butterfly On The Storm is an expansive, exciting thriller which explodes out from one seemingly insignificant accident in Amsterdam to take in global corruption stretching as far afield as Russia, South Africa and Afghanistan. While I am not sure that its trumpeted comparisons with the Stieg Larson trilogy will actually do its Dutch cousin any favours, I can see why the connection is being made. Once this novel gets up to speed it is a breathtaking ride and I loved Lucius' almost cinematic devices such as repeatedly seeing events through multiple viewpoints. This is particularly effective on the flyover (you'll have to read the book to find out how!)

I also loved the diversity of characters Lucius portrays. The intricacies of contemporary cosmopolitan Dutch society form an important part of this story so we see the successful melding of numerous peoples and cultures in Amsterdam, while Lucius also gives a nod to politicians blaming immigration for all the Netherlands' problems, whether or not that is the genuine cause, and using this divisive rhetoric as a smokescreen to hide nefarious corporate dealings. Moroccan-born Diba is an excellent variation on the older-detective-falling-apart staple and I loved how journalist Farah Hafez is not typical in any way. An excellent female character!

As far as believability goes, I did find myself a couple of times thinking 'really?', but generally the set up and build up are plausible. Lucius cleverly drew me in to the world as he created it and I didn't want to put this book down for any reason! As thrillers go, this is one of the best I have read in years. I'm eagerly looking forward to the other two in the trilogy!


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Walter Lucius / Thrillers / Books from the Netherlands

Wednesday 29 March 2017

One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat


One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat

First published in America by Amazon Publishing in October 2016. Print edition to be published by Rupa And Co in India on the 5th May 2017.

One of my WorldReads from India

Where to buy this book:
Buy the ebook from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from Speedyhen
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository
Buy the paperback from Waterstones

How I got this book:
Bought the ebook from Amazon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

'Hi. I’m Radhika Mehta and I’m getting married this week. I work at Goldman Sachs, an investment bank. Thank you for reading my story. However, let me warn you: you may not like me too much. One, I make a lot of money. Two, I have an opinion about everything. Three, I have had a boyfriend before. Okay, maybe two. Now, if I was a man, one might be cool with it. But since I am a girl, these three things I mentioned don’t really make me too likeable, do they?'

I popped on to Goodreads to mark I'd finished One Indian Girl and was surprised at its run of one star reviews and the vehemence of their comments. This seems to be a real Marmite book! Personally I thought it was OK, especially for a romance read (which isn't my preferred genre) blended with scenes of pure farce. The eponymous Indian girl, Radhika, is a fun character to spend a few hours with and I liked her first person narration style. An overachiever intellectually, she is remarkably naive socially with a lack of confidence that struck a chord for me. Admittedly some of the dialogue is awkwardly clunky and, despite its feminist protestations, there's no great depth to this story, but I think One Indian Girl would be a entertaining light holiday read.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Chetan Bhagat / Romance fiction / Books from India

Tuesday 28 March 2017

Seriously Mum, What's An Alpaca by Alan Parks


Seriously Mum, What's an Alpaca? by Alan Parks
Self published in February 2015.

How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the author

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Could you give up everything you have worked for and do something completely different? Would you give up and go home if it all went wrong?
'Seriously Mum, What's an Alpaca?' is the frank and charming story of a brave couple who move to Spain to breed alpacas. Their intention is to make a living, but first they must negotiate their way through the Spanish property market, local characters, rogue builders and the worst weather AndalucĂ­a has seen for 100 years. Alan and Lorna experience the joy, but also the heartbreak of alpaca breeding, picking up an assortment of stray animals on the way. Will they succeed, or will the challenges prove too much to bear?

I discovered author Alan Parks on Twitter as he is from the Eastbourne area where I used to live. Spotting his tweet offering a copy of his first book Seriously Mum, What's An Alpaca? in return for a review, I volunteered. Dave and I are currently touring Spain for the winter so reading about an English couple who have taken the plunge to actually live out here seemed appropriate. Seriously Mum recounts various incidents during the first months of Alan and Lorna Parks' new life as they set themselves up as alpaca breeders in a disused olive mill in Andalucia. Their proposed lifestyle is meant to be idyllic, but unfortunately a lack of preparation and animal husbandry experience leads to a series of disasters that threaten their dream almost before it has become established.

We don't really get to know Lorna through this book as it is written solely by Alan as a series of sketches rather than an in-depth view of their life. The decision to uproot and change career comes across as being a whim that gained a momentum of its own. Neither has experience of livestock care and at several points this ignorance has sad consequences, not enough to prevent more animals being added to their menagerie though. The couple admit to still being completely inept in Spanish over a year after arriving and I found it odd that, despite their insistence on living in a Spanish community rather than with ex-pats, they shun social opportunities such as the Feria week. Many of Alan's written asides criticise Spanish culture from a strongly English perspective and I wonder whether they will ever assimilate or always remain the English outsiders.

With regards to the book itself, Alan does successfully avoid the indie author curse of poor spelling/grammar etc, but Seriously Mum feels very superficial throughout. I would have preferred deeper writing allowing me to get to know Alan and Lorna and understand their choices and decisions. Instead, brief sentences describe serious events such as the day a particular animal dies and is buried which is solely covered as 'a sad day'. I learned next to nothing about alpaca care and even the rich Andalucian culture is mostly bypassed. There are several odd little vignettes apparently written by selected animals expressing gratitude at having been taken in. I didn't get those at all. Perhaps originally intended for young readers? Overall, I found this book disappointing and thought it a missed opportunity.


Etsy Find!
by Alpaca Rescue Centre in
Cornwall, England

Click pic to visit Etsy Shop


Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Alan Parks / Biography and memoir / Books from England

Sunday 26 March 2017

Apathy Will Kill Us All by Andy Carrington + Giveaway


Apathy Will Kill Us All by Andy Carrington
Self published on the 20th June 2016
Enter Andy's Goodreads Giveaway for a signed paperback edition (ends 1st May 2017)

Where to buy this book:

Abebooks

Alibris

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Kobo

Smashwords

Speedyhen

The Book Depository

Waterstones

Wordery

Directly from the author


How I got this book: 4 of 5 stars
Received a review copy from the author

My rating:

… when all that’s left is mediocrity

and each day just bleeds into the next …

Apathy Will Kill Us All is a sweeping tirade of poetry that illuminates the depressing and ugly side of life experienced by great swathes of British people today. I loved the vivid imagery and immediacy of Carrington's poems. His energy leaps right off the page to slap readers across the face, forcing us to look and really see the neglected and damaged communities across our country. I imagine that hearing this work read out live would be amazing and I found myself speaking several of the poems to myself in order to fully appreciate them. My favourites are £1.50 to draw out my own money because I have been in that exact exasperating situation, Saw A Dead Cat On The Road This Morning for its sharply observed analogy, and the Robots In poems because I have worked those soulless-smile jobs. While I didn't agree with all the assertions, I could certainly understand the overwhelming frustration that drives this work.

Andy Carrington's newest collection, Self Service Check-outs Have No Soul is due for release at the beginning of April. Pre-order your copy here.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Andy Carrington / Poetry / Books from England

Friday 24 March 2017

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes Vol. II by Arthur Conan Doyle


The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. II by Arthur Conan Doyle
Stories first published in the UK in 1891 and 1892. Naxos audiobook edition narrated by David Timson published in March 1999.

Where to buy this book:
Buy the audiobook on CD from Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk
Buy the audiobook on CD from The Book Depository
Buy the CD or download direct from the publisher

How I got this book:
Downloaded as part of the 2014 AudioSYNC season

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this collection are four of the finest cases of Mr Sherlock Holmes, narrated by his faithful friend and admirer Dr Watson. What was the mystery of the engineer’s thumb? What was behind the disappearance of the race horse? Why did masked royalty walk up to see Holmes in Baker Street? These and other puzzles are solved by this bloodhound of a genius.

The second of the four Naxos volumes of Sherlock Holmes stories was one of the downloads in 2014's summer AudioSYNC programme and Volume II has the stories The Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb, The Five Orange Pips, and Silver Blaze.

As the stories are short and we are already meant to be acquainted with Holmes and Watson, there is very little in the way of description about them. Unfortunately, as I am not a particular fan, this made our heroes rather flat. Their clients and foes were also not fleshed out in any great detail.

However the plot lines which were main focus of each tale were generally cleverly thought through and it was fun to try to guess the conclusion ahead of Holmes. David Timson does a great job of the narration and his style complements the writing perfectly. I don't think I will search out the other three volumes though because I can see too many of such tales together quickly becoming overly formulaic and, dare I say, a tad dull.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Arthur Conan Doyle / Crime fiction / Books from England

Wednesday 22 March 2017

Flesh And Bone And Water by Luiza Sauma


Flesh And Bone And Water by Luiza Sauma

First published in the UK by Viking in February 2017.

Featured in Cover Characteristics: Swimming and WorldReads: Brazil

Where to buy this book:



How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Brazilian-born doctor André Cabral is living in London when one day he receives a letter from his home country, which he left nearly thirty years ago. A letter he keeps in his pocket for weeks, but tells no one about. The letter prompts André to remember the days of his youth - torrid afternoons on Ipanema beach with his listless teenage friends, parties in elegant Rio apartments, his after-school job at his father's plastic surgery practice - and, above all, his secret infatuation with the daughter of his family's maid, the intoxicating Luana. Unable to resist the pull of the letter, André embarks on a journey back to Brazil to rediscover his past.'

Elements of Flesh And Bone And Water reminded me of Wasp Days by Erhard  von Buren in that both books explore the memories of older men looking back to their youths and neither of the men is presented as a particularly likeable character. Here Sauma has her GP Andre Cabral remembering his privileged childhood and adolescence in Brazil and the events which saw him exile himself from his country. I loved the portrayals of 1980s Brazil! Richly detailed prose allowed me to visualise the vibrant landscapes, city and small town locations, as well as giving me an understanding of Andre's way of life. The son of an affluent family, he didn't realise how spoilt he was at the time so we see his surprise at small events such as the first time he ever made himself breakfast - aged eighteen! His family employed two maids (empregadas) who saw to pretty much their every need, expected to work long hours and with just two days off a month.

I found the careless attitude of Andre and his friends towards empregadas particularly distasteful and Sauma presents this idea of superiority in an interesting way. We see Andre offended by the slurs his friends utter without understanding that he thinks of his maids exactly the same. A childish assumption persists that Rita and her daughter, Luana, live with the family because they want to and he doesn't really question Luana's having left school young, even though her correcting of his maths homework shows she is equally as intellectually capable. It is surely obvious that an empregada's daughter would have no greater ambition than to be an empregada herself.

I liked the device of Luana's letters to Andre. They provide an almost sinister undertone to the novel. I guessed fairly early on what her ultimate revelation would be, but this foreknowledge didn't detract from the story. Instead I thought it provided an inevitability that added to the tension. I would have liked to have also seen more of Luana's viewpoint as I think the tale could have been just as interesting, if not more so, through her eyes. Andre's shallowness is infuriating!


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Luiza Sauma / Contemporary fiction / Books from Brazil

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Into The Air by A K Downing + Giveaway


Into The Air by A K Downing
Self published in America in September 2016.

Where to buy this book:
Buy from independent booksellers via Abebooks
Buy from independent booksellers via Alibris
Buy the ebook from Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository

How I got this book:
Received a review copy through Beck Valley Books Book Tours. I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like everyone else in the world, Mia Bryn lives in the dark. Buried in an underground compound, her life is spent in brief allotments of florescent light and dwindling food supplies. But when a letter arrives, Mia and her father are invited to embark on a journey that no one else has been allowed to take for over a hundred years. They are asked to leave the ground and travel into the air. But the outside world is more surprising and dangerous than Mia could have ever imagined. To survive, she must trust her instincts, learn about a world she knows nothing about, and accept her destiny.


If you read my Shadow Reaper review yesterday, you will have seen me recommend this novel to Amos Cassidy fans and, if you love their writing, I'd urge you to give A K Downing a try! Into The Air is energetic young adult adventure set in a vividly portrayed post-apocalyptic world. I loved the idea of the underground Compounds and appreciated Downing's contrasting of their drab greyness with the overwhelming colours Mia encounters outside. 

I thought the first few chapters jumped too swiftly through Mia's receipt of an all-important letter to her emergence into fresh air. Her journey to the City is well-portrayed, but everything had moved so fast that I didn't understand events when we got there and felt that it wasn't until just past this point that Downing really settled into her pace. Mia is a fascinating character and I was interested to watch her grow as a person from the self-centred brat of the Compound to an assured young woman. I certainly didn't like Mia initially, but grew to respect her as her story progressed. Her will-they-won't-they relationship with her guide-guard Archer kept me on tenterhooks and I think all the main characters felt real.

I liked that we gain some understanding of this world's political shenanigans, but are never bogged down with too much dry detail. Into The Air is primarily a journey novel, both in a physical and an emotional coming-of-age sense. Mia's observations reminded me of how I experience new environments while hiking so these aspects felt authentic to me, even though Downing's world is far removed from most of our own. Frequent proofreading errors, mostly homophones, did distract me from the story's atmosphere which was irritating, however I still very much enjoyed Into The Air and would happily get myself a copy of its sequel should there be one.

“Downing’s Into The Air is that fresh take on the YA post-apocalyptic vision we’ve all been waiting for. Mia Bryn is a wonderful character—one who starts out charmingly mortal but soon becomes the heroine we, and her people, need her to be. Can’t wait for the next Mia chapter!” Bruce McAllister, Author of the Cybils-nominated The Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic

“There’s a new star in the Young Adult firmament—A. K. Downing’s series, beginning with Into The Air, is sure to be a reader favorite right up there with The Hunger Games and The 100 trilogy.” Richard Snodgrass , Author of There’s Something in the Back Yard

WHAT IF YOU ENTERED A WORLD YOU DIDN'T KNOW
“Did you ever feel so lost that you didn’t know if the ground was above your head or below your feet?”

About the author
A. K. Downing is the author of the young adult, adventure novel Into the Air. She grew up in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania and spent her summers exploring the fields, woods and orchards of her grandparents' farm. She studied graphic design at Kent State University and currently works as a Creative Director. She enjoys history, camping, and walking through fields of tall grass, and feels there is no better way to see the world than from the top of a horse. She currently lives in the woods with her husband, daughter, two cats and five chickens. Into the Air is her first novel.

Find the author on the following sites...

 



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Books by A K Downing / Science fiction / Books from America

Thursday 16 March 2017

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso


The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
Published by Chatto And Windus on the 5th May 2016.
Longlisted for the 2017 Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction

Featured in 5Books1Theme: Older Women and WorldReads: South Africa.

Where to buy this book:
Buy the book from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Buy the hardback from Speedyhen
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository
Buy the paperback from Waterstones

How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hortensia and Marion are next door neighbours in a charming, bougainvillea-laden Cape Town suburb. One is black, one white. Both are successful women with impressive careers behind them. Both have recently been widowed. Both are in their eighties. And both are sworn enemies, sharing hedge and hostility pruned with zeal.
But one day an unforeseen event forces the women together. Could long-held mutual loathing transform into friendship?
Love thy neighbour? Easier said than done.

The bright, bold cover art of The Woman Next Door leapt out at me from all my potential NetGalley reads, enticing me to discover more about the story inside. Set in Cape Town, South Africa, the novel charts the bitter relationship between two neighbours who are both now in their eighties and have happily hated each other for years. Hortensia James was an accomplished textile designer, now retired, whose husband is terminally ill. She is also the only black homeowner in an affluent and otherwise white estate community. Marion Agostino was an accomplished architect, now retired and widowed, who is chair of the estate committee. She also designed the house in which Hortensia lives.

We first see Hortensia and Marion together bickering as they always do at one of their regular and tedious committee meetings. I liked that both women are rude, completely set in their ways and convinced of their own opinions regardless of what goes on around them. It was refreshing to read about elderly ladies who aren't typical cosy grandmother types or lost to dementia. Both Hortensia and Marion are essentially strong career women and experienced battleaxes! As we learn more of their histories, shared and otherwise, we begin to understand their animosity and bitterness as well as how they are viewed with a certain amusement by others in the community. By revealing their secrets, Omotoso is able to discuss elements of South Africa's history and I now understand a lot more about how the country tried to heal itself in the years following the collapse of apartheid. The Woman Next Door is a novel about race, but it is also about generational differences and the difficulties of trying to remain independent when your body has other ideas. Given the breadth of issues, I did think that this was perhaps too brief a story and could have been deeper and more expansive. The lighter touch throughout makes for an entertaining read, but I would have liked more background and to have learned more about characters other than our two leading ladies.


Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Yewande Omotoso / Contemporary fiction / Books from South Africa

Wednesday 15 March 2017

The Kolkata Conundrum by Kalyan Lahiri


The Kolkata Conundrum by Kalyan Lahiri

First published in Hong Kong by Crime Wave Press in September 2015.

One of my WorldReads from India

Where to buy this book:
Buy from independent booksellers via Abebooks
Buy from independent booksellers via Alibris
Buy the ebook from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository

How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the publisher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'The mysterious and alluring Pramila, resident of Avantika Heights, is brutally murdered. Sudhir Das, the security guard from the Golden Red Security Agency, is caught red-handed. In steps Sudhir's boss, young Orko Deb, the hesitant avenger. His cautious sleuthing, all over Kolkata, throws up more questions than answers. Who is Pramila? Was the National Bank involved in money laundering? Or was it simply a crime passionnel? And who robbed the jeweler's store? Then the media frenzy begins and Golden Red is like a deer in the headlights. The police take charge and Orko lies low. Until he is arrested.

The Kolkata Conundrum differs from many books in its genre by its dignified and elegant tone. The novel has a strong sense of authenticity, perhaps unsurprisingly as Kolkata is Lahiri's home city, and I loved his presentation of the differing locales, especially as viewed through the eyes of first-time visitor, Orko. This young man becomes our amateur sleuth attempting to find out what really happened to one of his employees, the unfortunate Sudhir Das. Orko isn't flashy or a wannabe commando and it is certainly refreshing that he doesn't run around gun-waving all the time. Instead, quiet conversations and a sharp eye for detail lead him slowly to the truth.

In lieu of fast action, Lahiri provides a grounded and far more satisfying - for me anyhow! - exploration of Kolkata and her inhabitants. Scenes such as the ever-increasing hysteria of the news scroller are very funny and I liked the tennis analogy of competitive conversation. We see the colours of everyday life in all its fascinating detail from tea wallahs and cycle rickshaws on the streets to police procedure and eternally televised cricket. Lahiri's characters have genuine lives away from the central mystery. Scenes of a few men chatting over a whisky or three serve to both progress the plot and add greater depth to our cast. The Kolkata Conundrum won't be to everyone's taste and I wouldn't recommend it to action thriller fans, but if you prefer your crime fiction to be thoughtful and rooted in real life, then I think you will be rewarded by this novel.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Kalyan Lahiri / Crime fiction / Books from India

Tuesday 14 March 2017

Cal by Bernard MacLaverty


Cal by Bernard MacLaverty

First published in the UK by Jonathan Cape in 1983.

I registered my copy of this book at BookCrossing

How I got this book:
Swapped for in the book exchange at Camping Didota, Oropesa

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Set in the Northern Ireland of the 1980s, Cal tells the story of a young Catholic man living in a Protestant area. For Cal, some choices are devastatingly simple: he can work in an abattoir that nauseates him or join the dole queue; he can brood on his past or plan a future with Marcella. Springing out of the fear and violence of Ulster, Cal is a haunting love story that unfolds in a land where tenderness and innocence can only flicker briefly in the dark.

Cal is the first book I think that I have read which so directly addresses the sectarian violence in 1980s Northern Ireland. I remember as an older child watching television news reports of IRA bombs and attacks, not understanding much of the reasons behind such atrocities and also not realising that, on English TV anyway, we were only generally shown half the story. At one point in Cal MacLaverty has his character wonder why Protestant activists are are called 'staunch' while their Catholic counterparts are 'fervent'. Two sides participating in equally violent and sadistic acts against each other, but described in evocative tones implying a sense of right and wrong with these words apportioned purely on the basis of authoritarian approval. Such is the power of language.

Cal, the man, isn't really much of anything and if he had lived somewhere peaceful no one would have bought MacLaverty's book, much less made it a classic school text. (I am glad I read it by choice rather than under obligation!) MacLaverty manages to show people on each side of the divide as both good and bad so I didn't feel him trying to sway me to either point of view. Instead he graphically portrays how easy it for people to slide into such a vicious stalemate, especially when they have little hope of any alternatives to lift them above their grievances. What makes Cal a fascinating protagonist is his world forcing his actions. Not a violent man and certainly, left to his own devices, not a murderer, in this society Cal cannot be his own man. Bravery is calculated by contributions to The Cause, not by standing apart. I was reminded of Good People by Nir Baram in that this novel also shows an everyman in an extreme situation and, as readers, we must ask ourselves how we would behave under such pressures.


Search Literary Flits for more:
Books by Bernard MacLaverty / Contemporary fiction / Books from Northern Ireland

Monday 13 March 2017

Hurricane In Paradise by Deborah Brown + Giveaway


Hurricane In Paradise by Deborah Brown
Published in America by Paradise Books in December 2016.

Where to buy this book:
Buy from independent booksellers via Abebooks
Buy the ebook from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository

How I got this book:
I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

Set against the steamy backdrop of Tarpon Cove's sun-kissed, tropical waters, sexy sleuths and best friends Madison and Fab are at it again dealing with the occasional dead body. Hidden just below the surface of the small town lies an underworld, one steeped in deceit, corruption, and deadly secrets. It's only a matter of time before Madison and Fab find themselves on a collision course with the police, who consider them likely suspects in a murder.

Ride along on their adventures when the duo realizes that a family member is missing and pull themselves away from all jobs to track him down. Theories: walked away, freak accident, kidnapped? If so, then why no ransom demand?

Hurricane in Paradise is book ten in the thrilling and humorous provocative Paradise series, which finds the two waist-deep in mystery and romance. It is a smart, adventurous read that delivers heart-thumping, non-stop action. Join Madison and Fab as they solve the most twisted of cases, through unconventional ¬– and highly entertaining – measures… sometimes in flip-flops.

The Paradise series, are Florida Keys mysteries, “great as stand-alone reads, but they're like chips...you won't be able to devour just one!”


I got to read Hurricane In Paradise at probably the best time - sitting in hot Spanish sunshine and trying to distract myself from feeling unwell from a cold. This slice of Florida fun was just what I needed! A fast-paced read, Brown has her heroines zipping from one investigation to another with scarcely time to finish their margaritas. There are a lot of names to keep track of which I guess having read the previous books in the series would have helped me with. I was sometimes confused. Each of these mysterie books are stand-alone stories (in fact even the multiple overlapping mysteries in this one book didn't impinge on each other) but I think many of the central protagonists reoccur and I didn't have any depth of character to flesh them out. My favourite scenes were set in the rental homes, The Cottages, where the seedier side of Florida life comes to the fore. I could frequently empathise with manager Mac when she tried to keep this band of misfits under control - or at least prevent murder. There is a lot of gun waving in Paradise!

All in all I think if you're looking for a light beach read to pass a couple of days, you could do worse than pick up one of Deborah Brown's Paradise series. However Hurricane In Paradise is the tenth and I think starting nearer the series' beginning would have been wise!


"Deborah Brown's Florida Keys mystery series is highly addictive! The characters are quirky & amusing. The dialogue is snappy. The plot highly entertaining & thrilling. All the oddball cast of characters are back as well as Mad's & Fab's deliciously hunky loves, Creole & Didier." 


"Madison and Fab are so much fun to read about along with their better halves. This time there's murder (of course), a missing family member and a crazy grandma! You'll love this book so much!"

"Once again Deborah Brown has written a wonderful humerous highly entertaining book."
Above reviews from Amazon

About the Author
I've been writing, in one way or another for as long as I can remember; writing poetry, short stories, a romance novel secretly stashed under the bed and sappy love letters. Fiction should be fun. I wanted to create the perfect beach book, to make the reader laugh, cry and cheer... and then run out and tell their friends about it.

My love of reading began when I was seven, the day I opened the cover of my first Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book. Mrs. P gave lessons to other children in how to behave and to me I learned to love the written word. I live with my family and demon children aka rescue cats in South Florida.

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Books by Deborah Brown / Crime fiction / Books from America

Sunday 12 March 2017

Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris


Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris

First published in America by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in January 2007. Published in the UK as The Night Of The Mi'raj.

Where to buy this book:
Buy the book from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from Speedyhen
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository
Buy the paperback from Waterstones

How I got this book:
Gift from a friend

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'When sixteen-year-old Nouf goes missing, her prominent family calls on Nayir al-Sharqi, a pious desert guide, to lead the search party. Ten days later, just as Nayir is about to give up in frustration, her body is discovered by anonymous desert travelers. But when the coroner's office determines that Nouf died not of dehydration but from drowning, and her family seems suspiciously uninterested in getting at the truth, Nayir takes it upon himself to find out what really happened. He quickly realizes that if he wants to gain access to the hidden world of women, he will have to join forces with Katya Hijazi, a lab worker at the coroner's office who is bold enough to bare her face and to work in public. Their partnership challenges Nayir and forces him to reconcile his desire for female companionship within the parameters imposed by his beliefs.'

Finding Nouf (or The Night Of The Mi'raj if you're in the UK - same book, different titles, no idea why!) is a crime mystery of amateur sleuths searching to find out why a teenaged girl died alone, miles from home, in a desert wadi. I think the novel is intended for a young adult audience so, refreshingly for crime fiction, there are practically no depictions of violence or graphic autopsies to contend with. Instead Ferraris pitches more towards literary fiction by detailing how the lives of desert guide Nayir and lab technician Katya are shaped and guided by both their religion and by the strict social etiquette enforced in Saudi Arabian society. The book is very readable and I zoomed through it in little more than a day. I enjoyed the mystery which is nicely plotted and progresses at a good pace, especially considering this is a debut novel. The characters aren't particularly deep, but there is a good sense of atmosphere and I enjoyed evocative descriptions of varied Saudi Arabian landscapes, rural and urban.

I was concerned however by the contrast between how Finding Nouf is marketed and the accuracy of information within its pages. Ferraris, an American woman, did spend time living in Saudi Arabia and obviously has experienced the country, but there are glaring errors in her research - even I know that Hajj only happens once per year for example - and her perpetual criticisms of Muslim culture give an unbalanced view pandering to the idea of all Muslim women being desperate to throw off their burquas and embrace Americanisation. While I am sure that some do, I am equally as sure that others don't and, to me, Finding Nouf felt as though it had been written for a Western audience who would already have decided how they felt about life in Saudi Arabia and wouldn't appreciate having their assumptions challenged. I thought this a shame as I would have preferred to read authentically Saudi viewpoints. However if you can look past this relentless chafing, then Finding Nouf is an entertaining and unusual addition to the lighter crime genre.


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Thursday 9 March 2017

In The Twinkling Of An Eye by Seyed Mehdi Shojaee


In The Twinkling Of An Eye by Seyed Mehdi Shojaee

First published in Persian in Iran as Dar Yek Chashm Be Ham Zadan by Neyestan Publishing. English language translation by Caroline Croskery published in the UK in 2014 by Candle And Fog Publishing.

One of my WorldReads from Iran

Where to buy this book:


How I got this book:
Bought from Amazon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'In the Twinkling of an Eye is a collection of short stories by renowned, contemporary Iranian author, Seyed Mehdi Shojaee, and translated from the Persian-Farsi into English by Caroline Croskery. This collection of stories juxtaposes the misdeeds of imperfect human beings with the interconnectedness of the natural world and a metaphysical world of supernatural beings. The surreal, serene, feminine image on the cover against the soft, blue-green clouds of an impending storm invite the reader to experience a thrilling contemplation of the human condition fraught with foibles and weaknesses in its evolution towards perfection.
What makes this book so special is Seyed Mehdi Shojaee’s ability to engage the reader through his range of narrative perspective, richness of literary technique, and depth of plots in his art of storytelling. The strength this collection of short stories by one of one of contemporary Iran’s most beloved authors is its ability to appeal to the heart, the mind and sense of humor and entertain while compelling us to read on as it challenges our thoughts and beliefs. Readers will be inspired to share ideas and discuss implications of the social and universal concepts introduced in this book.'

I was drawn to read In The Twinkling Of An Eye by the fact of its Iranian authorship and by the beautifully serene cover image, the work of Pejman Rahimizadeh, which leapt off Amazon to catch my eye. A collection of eighteen short stories, the book is quite a fast read, but delves deeply into universally important themes of love, relationships, personal self-belief, and family. Although Shojaee's characters are from a very different country and culture to my own, I could easily empathise with their stories and understand what this accomplished storyteller wanted to impart. People, female characters especially, tend to appear as romanticised versions of an ideal rather than believable women one might actually meet, but I thought this fitted with the overall ambience of the collection. I loved the mythical and poetic aspects to several tales such as the first, Mahjabin, which has an otherworldly vibe. Signature is a poignant depiction of life for the young son of a martyr and I am sure many striving authors and poets would identify with Somebody Notice Me! I took a chance on buying In The Twinkling Of An Eye having had no prior knowledge of Shojaee's writing and not having seen reviews blogged anywhere else and am now very happy to have done so. I would recommend this poetic collection to dip into on thoughtful, introspective days.


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Books by Seyed Mehdi Shojaee / Short stories / Books from Iran

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig


Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig

First published in German as Marie Antoinette: Bilnis eines mittleren Charakters by Insel Verlag in 1932. English language translation of 1933 by Eden and Cedar Paul republished by Pushkin Press in July 2010.

One of my WorldReads from Austria

Where to buy this book:
Buy the ebook from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from Speedyhen
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository
Buy the paperback from Waterstones

How I got this book:
Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Stefan Zweig based his biography of Marie Antoinette, who became the Queen of France when still a teenager, on her correspondence with both her mother and her great love the Count Axel von Fersen. Zweig analyses the chemistry of a woman’s soul, from her intimate pleasures to her public suffering as a Queen under the weight of misfortune and history. Zweig describes Marie Antoinette in the king’s bedroom, in the enchanted and extravagant world of the Trianon and with her children. He also gives an account of the Revolution, the Queen's resolve during the failed escape to Varennes, her imprisonment in the Conciergerie and her tragic end under the guillotine. This has been the definitive biography of Marie Antoinette since its publication, inspiring later biographers, including Antonia Fraser, and the recent film adaptation.'

Stefan Zweig wrote his biography of Marie Antoinette in the 1930s so I expected it to be quite hard going compared to more recent fare. In fact, other than needing to look up a few words - he does employ a wide vocabulary! - I found the read to be engrossing and frequently exciting. A novelist at heart, Zweig has a good sense of pace and concentrates on portraying Antoinette as a the woman she was rather than trying to force her to conform to the moulds of heartless queen or tragic heroine. I was interested at the end to read his explanation of which historical material he chose to incorporate and quote, which was left out and, most importantly, why he made these decisions.

I was irritated at points by a creeping tone of chauvinism. Zweig 'proves' some of his theories with sweepingly generic statements that Antoinette must have believed or behaved in certain ways because that is what women do. On the whole however, I think he had a good understanding of his subject and his biography is obviously well researched. Descriptions of Versailles, Trianon and the Tuileries are rich in detail which brought the Rococo period very much to life for me. I was also able to envisage the chief players as real people rather than having them obscured by dry dates. Having not known much detail of this period of French history before I am now intrigued to discover more. I am also keen to read more of Zweig's books both more biography and perhaps examples of his fiction too.


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Books by Stefan Zweig / Biography and memoir / Books from Austria

Saturday 4 March 2017

Reejecttion by Daniel Clausen + Free book


Reejecttion by Daniel Clausen

Self published in 2014.

Where to buy this book:
Read the ebook free online via Issuu
Download the ebook free from Smashwords
Buy the ebook from Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk

How I got this book:
Read the ebook online

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

'Have you ever faced rejection?
How about reejecttion?
This short story / essay collection looks at the challenges of being a writer, the challenges of being a human, and the challenges of being on the other side of a form rejection slip. We regret to inform you that when you read this short story collection you will laugh, you will scream, but mostly you'll wonder how getting reejectted ever felt so good.'

I discovered Daniel Clausen through reading Harry Whitewolf. The two authors collaborated on ReejecttIIon which I will be reviewing soon, but for once I am reading books in order so started with Clausen's solo short story collection. The book begins and is dotted with increasingly surreal form rejection letters which, while being funny in themselves, also allowed me to imagine the increasing desperation of an author trying to get his work seen and accepted. In between these are a selection of short stories, my favourites of which I think are The Opening Line and The Forbidden Story Of Patient 14892, the latter of which reminded me strongly of the dark themes I recently encountered in Daniil Kharms' short stories. Reejecttion is less than fifty pages so gives a good flavour of Clausen's work and an idea of his versatility as an author. I particularly liked his satirical observations and would have liked more as I was just getting into his style as Reejecttion ended.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Daniel Clausen / Short stories / Books from America