Relief Reads 11c - The Queen's Fool

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

(Reader's Digest edition)

Charity Shop: British Heart Foundation (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Charity: Charity fighting heart and circulatory disease. The BHF funds research, education and life-saving equipment and helps heart patients

Price: £1 (actually I suppose 25p, as I got 4 books in 1)

Blurb: Set amid the turmoil and scandal of the Tudor court, this powerful historical drama tells the story of Hannah Green, a young Jewish girl with the gift of second sight. // In Tudor England it is a crime to follow the Jewish religion, and from an early age Hannah Green has learned to hide her faith. She also has the troubled gift of second sight. Both things make her vulnerable to accusations of heresy and witchcraft. In the treacherous world of the Tudor court, Hannah desperately needs to find a protector.

Expected: A very weird novel, I was expecting northern-lights esq. A girl forever running, facing danger at every turn.

Reality: An incredibly far-fetched story in an historical setting. The second sight aspect is marginal so the story feels rooted in the real world. Hannah gets into incredible positions of power despite being a very not secret spy. There are very few times where her life is in danger and she manages life quite successfully without a protector. Basically the blurb is misleading.

Main Character(s): Hannah is a very naive, lucky girl. She is very much blinded by love, and that is her motivation for much of her actions. That said, she is a girl of principles and turns down an offer to bed this man as she is betrothed. She is not willing to accept her society's expectation of a woman's role, and is at her lowest when under the control of her mother-in-law. Hannah is incredibly loyal and sees the good in all those she serves despite them being enemies and responsible for the deaths of many.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

It liked this book, so much so one of the books coming up is another of Phillipa Gregory's concoctions. It loses some points due to its far-fetchedness and Hannah's infuriating blindness to the flaws of those around her.

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 

Set in the turmoil of Tudor times, so lots of twists. However not entirely unexpected as Hannah is able to tell the future!

Tear-jerker Scale:

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

 throughout

No one meaningful to Hannah dies (I think) and the sad events happen in chaos so no time for tears.

Moral of the Story: Be nice

***

Coming up: The last of this series of 4

Relief Reads 11b - The Undomestic Goddess

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
(Reader's Digest edition)

Charity Shop: British Heart Foundation (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Charity: Charity fighting heart and circulatory disease. The BHF funds research, education and life-saving equipment and helps heart patients

Price: £1 (actually I suppose 25p, as I got 4 books in 1)

Book Blurb: In the course of one day, Samantha Sweeting's life falls apart. One moment she's a hotshot lawyer, the next a hopeless house-keeper in this poignant, romantic comedy. //  My name is Samantha Sweeting. I am twenty-nine years old and about to be made a partner at Carter Spink, one of the biggest law firms in London. OK, there are a few drawbacks - I spend all my waking hours at work, have no home life and have never had time to learn to cook, or sew on a button. But then, who needs to be a domestic goddess?

Expectation: Didn't think about it too much, a rom-com

Reality: Brilliant, it was a rom-com but such a far-fetched one that I didn't get annoyed by it. Also it was more about Samantha escaping a ridiculously high-pressured job, than getting a man. Ultimately her reason for not going back was because she didn't want be one of those people who doesn't even have time to look out the window.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

It was hilariously, wonderfully bizarre.

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 was a bit in the middle I really wasn't expecting, but it would have been a very short story without it!

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? I give it a 3 because I did feel for her as her idol is taken away from her and suddenly her life has no meaning.

Moral of the Story: The good life is the best life

***

Coming up: 2 more books to come in this series...

No update, as I wrote the last blog about 5 mins ago

Relief Reads 11a - Nights of Rain and Stars

Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
(Reader's Digest edition)

Charity Shop: British Heart Foundation (Newcastle upon Tyne)

Charity: Charity fighting heart and circulatory disease. The BHF funds research, education and life-saving equipment and helps heart patients

Price: £1

Book Blurb: A memorable tapestry of human emotions played out in an idyllic Greek village, in which four tourists meet by chance and discover that each has a personal crisis to solve. // In a greek taverna high in the hills above the little village of Aghia Anna, four strangers meet: Fiona, a young Irish nurse; Thomas, a Californian academic; Elsa, a glamorous German television presenter; and David, a shy young English boy. Drawn together by the horror of a tragedy that unfolds in front of their eyes, their dependence upon one another grows - with surprising results.

Expectation: Didn't think about it too much, thought it was a romance, and thought the entire story would be set in the timeframe of one night.

Reality: The first night was over in a couple of pages which surprised me a little. The core of a story wasn't a romance which was refreshing, and the personal crises were fairly mundane in the grand scheme of the world but to each individual appeared an insurmountable obstacle. The 4 characters became a part of this little village and there were 2 other main characters from the village itself. It was a very satisfying book in that each 'crisis' was neatly wrapped up by the end, it was less satisfying in that the two female character's crises were men-related, ptsch! With the 6 main characters (3 men, 3 women) all being single, unsurprisingly there was some romance, but that was a side-note, and they didn't all pair up which made it slightly less predictable.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

I really liked the story, It would have been a lot better as the unabridged version.

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 

The reader is kept guessing about the characters' pasts which are not entirely predictable, but as I said they all had fairly believable life histories, nothing too shocking.

Tear-jerker Scale:

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

 throughout

Had I read the unabridged version I'm sure I'd have tears running down my face in parts, but as it were abridged and so moved on so fast I only made it to a bit sniffly.

Moral of the Story: It leaves you questioning the meaning of life, this book's answer is family.

***

Coming up: 3 more books to come in this series...

I went to visit Holy Island yesterday, even though it was just a day trip, being by the sea really makes you feel like you're on holiday. Holy Island is where the Lindisfarne gospels were written; the priory is now a ruin and the stones have been weathered into beautiful shapes by the constant wind. The island gets cut-off by the tide for about 3 hours, and being a small place, you keep bumping into the same groups of people. Worth a visit if you're ever this far North.

Relief Read 10 - Found Wanting

Found Wanting by Robert Goddard

Charity Shop: Shelter, Newcastle upon Tyne (P.S. upon entering I realised this was the charity shop I got the Princess diaries from, so as I failed to credit it last time, I bought another book from there)

Charity: Shelter is a charity that works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness and bad housing.

Price: £1

Book Blurb: 'The car jolts to a halt at the pavement's edge, the driver waving through the windscreen to attract Richard's attention. He starts with astonishment. The driver is Gemma, his ex-wife. // He has not seen or spoken to her for several years. They have, she memorably assured him, nothing to say to each other. But something has changed her mind - something urgent...' // Immediately Richard is catapulted into a breathless race against time that takes him from London, across northern Europe and into the heart of a mystery that reaches back into history - the fate of Anastasia, the last of the Romanovs. From that moment, Richard's life will be changed for ever in ways he could never have imagined...

Expectation: A light-hearted thriller. Probably involving bad guys and deaths

Reality: A light-hearted thriller! I liked this book from the start as the characters lived in Guildford and studied at Cambridge. However that was a side note, and as promised in the blurb the story was set all over Europe. The chase begins almost immediately, but starts off quite gently as a man helping an old friend. Richard slowly gets more and more involved to lead to extreme actions that would have been unimaginable at the beginning. His motivation is not always clear, both to the reader and to himself, but clarity is achieved by the end.
Also I love the clever title.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

I did like the book, but it's just so far-fetched that I knocked off a couple of marks.

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 

Nothing was particularly shocking but there were a lot of twists and turns. The core of the mystery is not terrible, but a perfect example of the frog in boiling water analogy, as a small lie turned into something so terrible.

Tear-jerker Scale:

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

 throughout

Not a tear-jerker but main characters did die, which was sad.

Moral of the Story: I'm not really sure. Money does strange things to people...

***

Coming up: Readers digest compilation of 4 books. First up Nights of Rain and Stars.

Relief Reads 9 - The princess diaries 10 out of 10

The Princess Diaries Ten out of Ten by Meg Cabot

Charity Shop: I've forgotten :'( I'm going to go with Red Cross, Newcastle

Charity: Red Cross are a volunteer-led humanitarian organisation that helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are.

Price: £1

Book Blurb: (It came in a sleeve so there are two) 1. Mia is about to turn eighteen and has decided to put down her princess pen for good. This is your one and only chance to find out how it all ends - including the answers to hotter than hot questions like: / Is the practically perfect JP the real love of Mia's life? / Has Michael Moscovitz fallen for a brainbox Japanese beauty? / And is Mia REALLY the last unicorn at Albert Einstein High? / There's only one way to find out... 2. (this is decorated with little pictures) First I was an ordinary New York teen. Then I discovered that I was, by some freak of fate, the heiress to a minor European principality / A princess! / There have been a whole lot of ups and downs along the way. Mainly involving Michael Moscovitz (sigh) and his sister, my ex-best friend, Lilly. / Now I'm totally in Love with the practically perfect J.P. And I never ever think about Michael Moscovitz. Ever. Oh, and thanks to Grandmere's princess lessons, I can get out of a limo without showing my underwear. / So this is my last EVER Princess Diary. I could tell you the ending, but my bodyguard  would have to shoot you.

Expectation: I'd read some of the earlier books, and I quite enjoyed them particularly the style of writing as it's happening. The blurb made it sound incredibly cringey, and as I'm considerably older than the intended audience, I wasn't expecting it to be my best read ever. Overall I was expecting easily readable trashiness.

Reality: It was predictably outrageous and unbelievable; teenage angst with the added complexity of being rich and famous. The style has extended from diary and IM to include magazine interviews and text messages. It's a feminist's worst nightmare, and I really hope teenagers don't actually think like that. The whole story is about Mia's love life, and despite the fact she achieved a lot in her life on the political scene, the worst thing possible that can happen to her is not finding the right guy. The more I think about it, the more this book annoys me. For example in the two lead couples, the girls are rich and famous due to their family connections, the boys are rich and famous due to their scientific and musical success respectively. In addition every single character is partnered (except for Grandmere) because obviously girls are incapable of self-made success and need a man to provide their self-worth. It's worrying that some girls are going to read this and think this is what they're supposed to be thinking. I just hope it's ridiculous enough that they can see the futility of that way of life.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

Even though I disagree with the world-view that this book is spreading, it was readable and, when I wasn't feeling annoyed, was an enjoyable read.

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 

Whilst the ending was obvious how it was going to be reached was not obvious until near the end. I think had I read the preceeding few books it probably wouldn't have been a twist at all.

Tear-jerker Scale:

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

 throughout

Unless saddened for the state of society counts...

Moral of the Story: The whole purpose of life to to pursue a man (Oh look, it's the same as the last book)

***

Coming up: *watch this space* I didn't make it to a charity shop last week because...

Last weekend I went to a 'Staycation' with the 20s and 30s from Jesmond Parish Church. It was instead of a weekend away so even if people couldn't come to all, they could still come to some. It worked for me as I had my first taste of Newcastle town centre on Friday night for a work social. But I still got to go to the Saturday of the Staycation, which was far more my scene. There were talks on the theme Eternally Secure in the morning, a beach trip in the afternoon (loving the city-by-the-beach thing!) and, in true Northern and Christian style, a ceilidh in the evening!

In other news life goes on, I am still surviving being an adult, yay! Since moving up here I have intended to cycle to work. On Monday I finally had all the required components; a bike, inflated tyres and a lock, but then it got cold and started raining! So the bike remains in the coal shed, one day it will get a proper outing...

Relief Reads 8 - Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Charity Shop: Arthur Rank Hospice, Book stall in Michaelhouse Cafe, Cambridge

Charity: Arthur Rank hospice is dedicated to providing specialist palliative care and support to adult patients and their family, friends and carers in Cambridgeshire.

Price: £1 (I think)

Book Blurb: This story is a rare and utterly engaging experience. It tells an extraordinary tale of a geisha - summoning up a quarter century, from 1929 to the post-war years of Japan's dramatic history, and opening a window onto a half-hidden world of eroticism and enchatment, exploitation and degradation. / 'Sayuri tells a story of her life as a geisha with such gentle courtesy and determination that you are quickly brought under the spell of her character. She takes you by the hand and leads you into a world that is both formal and intimate, a world that I had only before glimpsed in the fleeting and beautiful images of traditional Japanese ink painting... Memoirs of a Geisha is a wonderful achievement' Julia Blackburn

Expectation: A story of a Geisha, a good book as it has achieved acclaimed.

Reality: It is indeed a story of the life of a Geisha, although it is quite shocking in that it begins with a young girl being essentially sold into slavery. It was interesting ethically, as it wasn't as clear cut as poor innocent victims and evil slave traders. In some ways her life was very restricted, but ultimately she had a fair bit of choice over her life's direction. Disappointingly, the storyline did boil down to a girl's pursuit of a man, but in that kind of world that is the whole purpose of living. At the end she ends up in New York (not giving anything away, this fact is revealed at the beginning) and the clash of cultures is fascinating. That's not a very eloquent review, but that is due to the complexity of the book. I would highly recommend it, it's the type of book you could write so many essays about.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

A very good book. It lost a mark as I wasn't a fan of the ending.

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 

Spanning a quarter of a century a lot happened, so a fair few twists and turns. The biggest twists comes in the author's note at the end.

Tear-jerker Scale:

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

 throughout

I'm trying to think, but I don't think I shed any tears. Maybe the culture just was too alien..

Moral of the Story: The whole purpose of life to to pursue a man (As I said, not too impressed with the overriding storyline)

***

Coming up: The princess diaries, ten out of ten. From the sublime to the ridiculous

I would give you a life update, but I've run out of time. I've finished the Princess diaries already, so it might not be too long till my next post.

Relief Reads 7 - Tynedale

Tynedale by Jean Simpson

Charity Shop: Cancer Research UK, Newcastle

Charity: Cancer Research funds scientists, doctors and nurses to help beat cancer sooner.

Price: £1.50

Book Blurb: Jean Simpson is a graduate of Durham University. Her roots have been firmly in the North East and her study of family history in the Hexham area reaches back many generations. This is a story of a seventeenth century heroine, Elizabeth, as she leaves the rural life of the Devil's Water, braves the perils of old Newcastle, and picks her way through the many eccentricities she encounters as she attempts to find her destiny.

Expectation: I didn't really know what to expect. I just hoped it was a readable story.

Reality: Surpassed my expectations, actually a reallly good book. A story following Elizabeth through her life from birth to marriage. She has quite a remarkable life, starting off in a poor village being brought up by her father after her mother dies in childbirth, and ending up in a rich manor house, but retaining her connection with those who worked the land. With regards to morals, the characters are binary creatures. Most all are good (including Elizabeth) but there are a couple of bad who put her life in danger. It was odd reading about events happening in places that I've been to and streets I walk daily. There was even one character who came from St John's Cambridge (although he was sent home due to the plague). This was the story of one woman, how many more lives have been lived in these places. Mind blowing.

Overall Rating

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

to make it                                                                                                        turner

It was a good book, and a captivating story.

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 would never have guessed the story would pan out the way it did. At one point I reread a section because I was convinced I'd missed the bit about here being asleep, but no it was actually happening. A bit like when Sherlock got shot and I was convinced that it was all a dream, and then you come to the slow realisation that it's actually happening...

Tear-jerker Scale:

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

 throughout

I'm trying to think, but I don't feel a huge emotional connection with the characters.

Moral of the Story: Technology may have changed, people haven't. Be grateful for modern medicine and the fact that witch-hunts are no more.

***

Coming up: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (would someone care to educate me, is it pronounced gay-sha or gai-sha, or even gee-sha?)

Feeling ever more settled, but still failing in my plan to join brownies and a music group. Had a little bus tour of Newcastle in a bid to find brownies, but was running late and ended up in an apparently empty building. Wasn't too keen on the idea of exploring an empty building alone so gave up, next time...
Last weekend I went to Cambridge, and it was the most beautiful weather. I did some paddling in a kayak and wasn't cold! It made me very nostalgic for Cambridge-ness and generally just being a student. On my return to Newcastle I went rock climbing and as a result of all the exercise spent the rest of the week feeling sorry for myself, but now pain-free movement has returned, I'm well up for more rock climbing again! Never learn.
In entirely unrelated news I wrote a moan letter to Student Finance to no real end and they actually replied! That's probably the most efficient I've seen them, and was very impressed despite their incredibly dismissive response.