Relief Reads 6 - The Hollow

The Hollow by Agatha Christie

Charity Shop: Marie Curie, Heaton/Byker Newcastle

Charity: Marie Curie is dedicated to the care of people with terminal illness in the UK. Their work includes providing nurses at home, hospice care, research and campaigning for patients. www.mariecurie.org.uk

Price: 99p

Book Blurb: A far from warm welcome greets Hercule Poirot as he arrives for lunch at Lucy Angkatell's country house. A man lies dying by the swimming pool, his blood dripping into the water and his wife stands over him, holding a revolver. // As Poirot investigates he begins to realize that beneath the respectable surface lies a tangle of family secrets and everyone becomes a suspect.

Expectation: A good old murder mystery

Reality: Classic Agatha Christie. A well-written gripping story, with, as always, a surprise conclusion that makes complete sense. I don't think I'd seen this on the TV, I thought it wouldn't be as gripping as TV's Poirot, but in fact I think I preferred it as a book.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

I didn't have time to read it all in one sitting, but it was memorable enough that it didn't matter.

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line 

It's an Agatha Christie, of course there's twists. The ending was a surprise too. I'd guessed one tiny bit of the solution which made me satisfy my detectiveness, but there was still the other 95% that was revealed at the end. About 5 pages before the end I couldn't work out how it was going to be concluded, then BAM crazy stuff happens, shocking events occur, all is explained and it's finished.

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

It's an Agatha Christie, she's not known for her heart-breaking stories.

Moral of the Story: As with all Poirot stories; Don't live near Poirot, someone will die and he will find a way to pin the blame very convincingly on someone else you know.

***

Coming up: Tynedale by Jean Simpson, chosen for its obscurity.

I get to go to Bristol for a work thing next week, which means several long train journeys so might manage to finish the book for next weekend. Life in Newcastle is a bit boring at the moment. I went rock climbing which was quite exciting, but it's that stage where I've been here long enough for it not to all be new, but not long enough to know loads of people. However, with all my stuff having been brought up, I have been experimenting with new recipes, from my charity shop-sourced recipe book. This included Chicken Parmesan (for which I didn't have any parmesan.. but it was still very yummy) At some point I will turn my attention to handiwork; I'm currently seeing if wood glue is a suitable replacement for superglue (trial 1 failed, trial 2 is drying) and will attempt to rewire a plug, instructions a la You tube. If the fuse blows in the house, it's definitely nothing to do with me!

Relief Reads 5 - Marley & Me

Marley & Me by John Grogan

Charity Shop: PDSA for pets in need of vets

Charity: The PDSA provides free veterinary services for the pets of needy owners in the UK (I can't find out what the acronym stands for! bonus points for anyone who can)

Price: 99p

Book Blurb: John and Jenny were young and deeply in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same. // Marley quickly grew into an uncontrollable ninety-seven pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever. Expelled from obedience school, even the tranquillisers prescribed by the vet couldn't stop him. // Yet through the chaos and the hilarity he won hearts and remained a steadfast model of devotion to his family, even when they were at their wits' end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

Expectation: I'd watched the film so was expecting that. One scene that stuck in my mind was John trying to house-train marley, involving bringing the sofa into the street.

Reality: Marley had no trouble being house-trained, the film lies! Anyway, it was a very well-written true story of a fairly normal family with a slightly abnormal dog. In contrast to the lovely bones this was a very light hearted book and had me chuckling away. Dogs always provide good stories to tell, and Marley managed to provide enough to fill a book. But this was a book written following his death (it was written due to the huge response John got from other dog owners following his obituary for Marley - John is/was a newspaper columnist) and so it did end with him dying *sniff*. Marley died from old age, and suffered many of the same ailments as Blackie, which left me reminiscing about my childhood dog. As expected the ending was a bit sad, but not heartbreakingly so as afterall, it's just a dog.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

A very enjoyable read, but as it lacked a storyline I wouldn't have been devastated to leave it half way through.

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line     

Life is never straightforward, and so there were a couple of surprising events. However as it is a real-life story rather than fiction, it wasn't crazily twisty.

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

Do tears of laughter count? Was a little sniffly at the end.

Moral of the Story: Dogs are great but not easy.

***

Coming up: The Hollow by Agatha Christie, can't go wrong with a classic.

Went back to Guildford last weekend hence the fortnight delay. However that does mean you get a bonus 2 reviews at once!

Relief Reads 4 - The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Charity Shop: St Oswald's, Byker/Heaton, Newcastle

Charity: The mission of St Oswald's is to provide 'hospice care' and act as a resourcing organisation in the development of hospice and palliative care in the North East of England. www.stoswaldsuk.org

Price: 50p

Book Blurb: My Name is Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighbourhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father talked to him once about fertilizer. // This is Susie Salmon, speaking from heaven - which looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets, counsellors to help the newcomers adjust, and friends to room with. Everything Susie wants appears as soon as she thinks of it - except the one thing she wants most; to be back with the people she loved on earth. // Watching from her place in heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet...

Expectation: A twist on a murder mystery.

Reality: Absolutely heart wrenching. As the blurb says its a story of a family devastated by the death of their daughter. The point of view is a bit wierd, as it's written from the perspective of Susie in 'heaven' who can't influence earth, but kind of can. 'Heaven' is never really explained why it's there, and very little of the book is dedicated to Susie's life in heaven. IMO the book could be better without that dimension. The family's pain was very real, but the whole interacting with dead people thing was a bit surreal. I read the book in one sitting because it was just so sad, and it just compelled me to keep reading until the sadness was less overwhelming. The murder mystery aspect only played a tiny role, with certain people 'knowing' who'd done it for no real reason. The reader knows from the beginning whodunnit as the first chapter is a rather graphic description of her murder.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

It was a gripping story, as I said I read it all at once, however for a story that deals with real world pain it was just a little too bizarre for me.

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line         

I couldn't tell from the beginning exactly what was going to happen, but you could tell this would be a story of a family falling apart each in their own way, and ending with them coming to terms with what happened and starting to get on with their lives. There is one entirely bizarre chapter that in retrospect was hinted at, but took me by surprise.

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

For all its faults, this book delievered on one thing, it was very very sad. Because it was so sad, I distanced myself emotionally from the story so never actually shed a full tear, but my heart ached with sadness.

Moral of the Story: Don't murder people, it ruins lives. Also, dead people are watching youuuuuu...

***

Coming up: Marley & me by John Grogan. I watched the film, so when I saw it in book form, thought why not? Bit of light-hearted relief.

Update on my life: The days are getting longer, and whilst it's grim down South, here up North there's been enough sun to warrant me shutting the blind most days, and to be able to get out to the countryside. I went for an incredibly windy and muddy walk via Northumbria's attempt at the Devil's punchbowl. There was some cool rock formations, but size wise Surrey's offering is far superior. We made it back without being blown away and drove down possibly the world's longest drive to find a tea room at a nearby English Heritage place.

Relief Reads 3 - Pauper's Gold

Pauper's Gold by Margaret Dickinson

Charity Shop: Scope, Byker/Heaton, Newcastle

Charity: Scope is a UK disability charity that supports disabled people and their families in England and Wales. scope.org.uk

Price: 50p

Book Blurb: (it's a long'un) Hannah Francis has been forced to leave her beloved mother and the life she knows in the silk mill town of Macclesfield ????????become an apprentice at a cotton mill in the Derbyshire dales ????blow for such a young girl, but her three travelling companions ????? younger than she is, and Hannah is determined ???? spirits up and remain in good cheer. // Once she is settled in the mill, Hannah discovers the hours of work are long, and the daily routine is dangerous, arduous and harsh, but her bright singing and capacity for joy lighten the load for everyone. // Hannah soon becomes a favourite with the other mill workers. Friendships are forged and an innocent love starts to blossom. But can such a fragile love survive cruel reality? It is not long before Hannah attracts the eye of Edmund Critchlow, the man who owns them all, body and soul - the man from whom no pretty mill girl is safe. // Times are hard in the cotton industry as civil war rages across America, affecting not only the mill owner but also the lives of all his workers...
(???? are the bits that are covered by the price sticker)

Expectation: What the blurb said. Tale of hardship and woe.

Reality: Amazing! I read this book all in one day because it was so good. It follows the life of Hannah Francis, from her separation from her mother right through to Adulthood (I won't give away the ending) The start of her life is marred by bad luck and bad people, and yet it is not all bad, it's just unfortunate that those in power are the evil ones. Despite her circumstances, Hannah remains very innocent and sings her way through life. She is well liked by almost all who encounter her, due to her boldness, intelligence and curiosity. She seems too perfect, but then tragedy strikes and she becomes fixated on revenge. Taking a risk, her living standards improve and for several years she lives a comfortable life, and everything starts to go right. However her desire for revenge makes her throw her life back into turmoil, which results in her having the most remarkable position. It is a very good read, highly recommended.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

Read it in a day, and it's not a short book either.

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line         

I deliberated on this one. Hannah's life is not straight forward. However the twists are well-anticipated. Hints are dropped about impending problems/situations, although some are a little surprising. There are a few of 'whoah, what? that just happened?!' moments, but although lots of events are shocking, they aren't a huge surprise.

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

Must admit, I got a little weepy. There are some very sad moments, and she's only a child!

***

So ends review #3 of the best book of the series so far.

Coming up: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. A book I remember many people reading in sixth form, but I never did. Found it in a charity shop so now's my chance.

Update on life: Getting into the swing of this 9-5 thing, even bought myself a bus pass (although got shouted at by grumpy bus driver for not using it properly!) Rained all week, but woke up today to glorious sunshine, so I went to the seaside. Tynemouth is so pretty, beats Boston harbour hands down (as that is my city-by-the-sea comparison) They have epic harbour walls that are stone piers with a lighthouse at the end. If I see a pier I want to walk to the end, so off I went, and kept going, and kept going, and kept going. It seemed never ending and I thought my face was about to be blown off. Reached the lighthouse, thought brilliant! time for a bit of shelter from the wind, only to find someone had relieved themself in the one sheltered spot, so it stank, ptsch! some people are so inconsiderate. Anyway pretty photos taken, hood put up and I trekked all the way back to land. At this point I decided to read the information board and it turns out the pier is 826m long, it didn't look that far from the land! Despite its length and critical point of smelliness, I did not regret it, there's something about being surrounded by sea which is pretty cool.

Relief Reads 2 - The Summons

The Summons by John Grisham

Charity Shop: RSPCA, Byker/Heaton, Newcastle

Charity: The RSPCA is the leading UK animal welfare charity. We specialise in rescue, animal welfare and preventing animal cruelty. rspca.org.uk

Price: 50p

Book Blurb: Ray Atlee is a professor of law at the university of Virginia who is forty-three and newly single. He has a father, a very sick old man who lives alone in his ancestral home in Clanton, Mississippi; a beloved and powerful official who has towered over local law and politics for many years and is now a recluse. // With the end in sight, Judge Atlee issues a summons to Ray to return to Clanton, to discuss the details of his estate. // Ray reluctantly heads south. But the meeting does not take place. The Judge dies too soon, and in doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray. // And perhaps someone else.

Expectation: A more adventurous book. Probably involving criminals and death.

Reality: *Slight Spoiler Alert* The blurb is fulfilled within the first few chapters, and the 'shocking secret' is more mysterious than shocking. Follows the movements of Ray with everything from his perspective. Good rate of character development, and there are a lot of interesting characters. Unsurprisingly the story revolves around money and a race around America as Ray tries to identify its source whilst being followed by a very elusive person. All is revealed by the end, with the ending reflecting on the power money has over people. There is a surprising lack of violence and death, which I appreciated.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line         

An adventure, but not a particularly twisty one. However the ending is a surprise.

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

No emotional connection with the character established.

***

And so ends the review for book 2. This time I went for a more well known author, but a charity shop staple. Following feedback I have changed the title, but still welcome any other suggestions!

Coming up: Paupers Gold by Margaret Dickinson

For those interested in my life, I've just finished my first full week as a real-life engineer! Everyone's very friendly, but it's a bit daunting thinking that this is my life indefinitely. I'm looking forward to the summer when all the daylight hours won't be spent in an office! I've not really had much chance to explore Newcastle, but did today by means of charity shopping (hence the new book) Unfortunately I missed the beautiful sunshine of the morning and got caught in a massive downpour... trying to browse clothes whilst dripping wet is an interesting experience.

Charity Books 1 - Secrets in Burracombe

Secrets in Burracombe by Lilian Harry

Charity Shop: British Heart Foundation, Leeds

Charity: The British Heart Foundation is the biggest funder of heart research in the UK bhf.org.uk

Book Blurb: It is autumn 1953 and the villagers are making excited preparations for the wedding of their much-loved schoolteacher Stella Simmons. Everyone is delighted when Joe Tozer - who left Burracombe as a young man in 1919 - returns to visit his family. His life since emigrating to America has been a world away from rural Devon, but coming home, he soon falls in love with the place (and one particular person) all over again.

Expectation: An easy to read enjoyable story. Main storyline about Joe and 'Particular person'

Reality: A tale of life in a rural village just after the war. There is not one overriding storyline although they are quite nicely woven together at the end. The secrets alluded to in the title are made clear to the reader and are not particularly shocking.

Overall Rating

It was a struggle           2        3        4        5        6        7        8       9      Gripping page  

to make it                                                                                                        turner

Twist Scale:

Knew the beginning,                                                                                 As twisty as the 

middle and end         2       3        4         5       6        7        8        9      bendy wendy road

from the first line         

There is one twist in the tale, but I guessed correctly the ending from the first chapter

Tear-jerker Scale:

 As dry as a house       2        3       4         5         6         7       8        9     Cried an ocean

 throughout

It's after the war, it's a story of a lot of grieving people. I almost shed a tear at one point, and felt sad about the situation at others. Come to think of it, it was a fairly depressing story!

***

So ends the first review. If you want the book let me know, else it shall be returned to a charity shop. I will try to keep the reviews to the same format but am open to improvements, particularly new scales. 

A new Chapter

I never did blog about my last week or so in Germany, it was even fairly eventful. I went to a concert, went swimming, went ice skating and took part in the band's Christmas concert (turns out this is a big event) I made a new friend and got to know some of the band members..

But then I left

for stormy England. I left the beautiful mountains lit up by the Alpine sun, and returned to storm upon storm upon storm! Trotzdem there is no place I'd rather be for Christmas and I had a wonderful time seeing almost all the extended family during Christmas week.

Before long it was time to pack my bags (or rather all my worldly possessions) and head off to pastures new(castle). Moved up and moved in, now my job starts on Monday, and I suspect my life will become a little less interesting to blog about, so I've had a new idea...

INTRODUCING: (drum roll please)

CHARITY BOOKS! (ideas for a better name welcome)

So my idea is that I will get a book from a charity shop, read it and when I've finished review it and the charity I got the book from and go get a new book.

But why?
So my thinking is this

1. It will give me incentive to read more
2. It will make me read random books, that I otherwise would never have come across
3. It might give other people ideas as to what to read (I will keep books for a little bit and if anyone wants it I'll post it on the condition the cost of the postage is donated to charity)
4. It'll make me give to charity
5. I'll be raising awareness of various charities and what they do

I'll do this for a year and see how it goes, I hope it provides vaguely interesting procrastination material. Any feedback welcome, or if you've got an author you think I should look for let me know (specific books are too specific)