The Local Lit Scene

celebrating South African Literature beyond our past

Jan 13

Book Review – This Charming Man by Marian Keyes

by timeout

This review was submitted by Laura – thank you!

This Charming Man

“This book may, so far, be my best Marian Keyes book yet and I have read a lot of her books.

The story is told in the voices of the 4 main characters. Grace – a headstrong journalist who knows what she wants. Marnie – Grace’s flaky, insecure twin sister. Lola – a purple haired stylist who is trying to deal with the news her boyfriend is marrying someone else. Alicia – the elusive women who is marrying Lola’s boyfriend.

These four women are unknowingly tied together by one man – a man who has literally left marks on all their lives that will stay with them all for a lifetime.

This book touched me deeply and I was unable to get out of bed for an entire day (true story) because I had to know what happened. I identified with each of these four women. Graces determination, Marnie’s insecurity and Alicia’s utter dedication to a man she believed she loved. But it was Lola who I felt was, in so many ways, telling my story. Without going into too much detail about what happened to her – I felt her pain at reliving a past she had believed was good. I felt her shame at realising she had let herself down. I felt her triumph when she realised she had moved on. I felt these as if they were my own – because I have felt her exact same shame and triumph.

This is a story about physical abuse. Keyes deals with it subtly yet the message is so very powerful and with every strike you almost want to cower from the pain. It is a story about addictions and how they destroy not only the lives of the one addicted but all those around them. It is a story about love and how when it is real it will conquer all. It is a story about family and the ties that bind siblings. It is a story about friendship and deep unmoving loyalty of true friends.

It was for a hard read. It brought to the service issues I thought I had long past dealt with. It was a good read because I realised I had dealt with the issues but would never truly forget.

There are some things impossible to forget.

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Jan 10

Book Review – Oscar and the Lady in Pink – Eric Emmanuael Schmitt

by timeout

Thanks to Laura for a review on what sounds like an awesome little book!

Oscar Lady in PInk

This little book (and it is literally little) is not about to even be considered for any literary awards – it is just a nice little book to have on your book shelf.

It is written in the voice of 10 year old Oscar who is in hospital with a terminal disease. Each day he writes God a letter about what has happened that day. Despite his age, Oscar knows what is happening and he knows he doesn’t have a lot of time so he decides to cram as much as he can into each day.

He has his first kiss and gets married all in 48 hours.

The Pink Lady is Rose. She is an old lady who volunteers at the hospital and she visits Oscar each day and provides him the with comfort and security his family are unable to.

It is a simple little book with a simple message – make the most of your life but the way it is told makes it a sad little story.

For a quick read I would definitely recommend this little book!

Reviews

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Jan 1

Giveaway, and its international too!

by imsonotablogger

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You know those books that beg to be read in one sitting?

Well,this is one of those books. A legal Alien by Jo Latimer is a delightful, unputdownable, hilarious look at a South African in London. You know the ones, taking the obligatory 2 year stint in the UK. Not knowing what on earth to expect and then once there, being completely taken aback by the weather? Well, this is exactly what this book is about.

I received this book on Tuesday and by Wednesday it had been fully read, I laughed at least twice in the first couple of pages and was completely enamoured by the main female character Alex.

Basically, the story is told via emails between Alex and friends and family. But, this is not one of those email books which are long-winded and boring, they get to the crunch and like all of us, sometimes only one liners are sent. The hungover days when the fingers refuse to type and the head is pounding. Alex has arrived in London, from Sunny South Africa, (and for those of you have made the transition between these two countries can vouch for the extreme weather surprise) and the emails tell us her story. They contain stories about the travels Alex goes on, the people she meets, the weather and intertwined between all these, a love story blossoms.

This book also contains ‘survival tips’ which just adds to the humour and good nature of traveling abroad.

I urge you to read this! If you have any sort of funny bone, this surely will tickle it.

So, because Christmas has officially packed its bags and left, no more pressies from Santa, and at least another 360 days till the next time,  we have  a pressie for you from The Book Club Blog. A giveaway of this book.  Not just one giveaway, we have two books waiting for new owners, to be gently pawed and fawned over. BUT,hold onto your seats,  this is not just any a giveaway, this is international!

All you need to do, is leave a comment, with your email (in case you get picked)and your website/blog address and hold thumbs that random.org chooses you.The closing date is 15th January 2010, and once the winners have been announced, I will email to find out what your postal addresses are in order to get the book winging over to you in no time.

What are you waiting for? Get commenting;-)

Reviews

25 Comments »
Dec 23

Bodies Politic – Michiel Heyns

by imsonotablogger

images Bodies Politic, is the latest novel by Michiel Heyns.(go here to read his interview with The Book Club Blog)

The story focuses on the highly articulate accounts of three suffragettes: Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughter Sylvia and the enchanting Helen, who was loved by Harry, the neglected son of Emmeline and beloved brother of Sylvia.

It describes the events of a past they shared, not always harmoniously but through the suffragette movement. It is a fictionalised account but are based on actual historical instances and with most of the encounters described, imaginary.

Michiel Heyns has done it again, written a highly readable book! It is sometimes slow going but the writing is brilliant and Michiel has an uncanny knack of transporting you to the time and events described.  It is a story of a family, at odds with each other, but still there is a resemblance of love. It is a story of the relationships formed and broken, the strength of these women and the path that they have chosen.

This book shows us what it would of been like in this time period and the struggle for women’s rights. If you haven’t yet read any of Michiel Heyns, you are missing out!

Reviews

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Dec 21

Her Fearful Symmetry – Audrey Niffeneger

by imsonotablogger

her-fearful-symmetry

When I discovered that the author of ‘The Time Traveller’s wife’ Audrey Niffeneger had written a new novel, I was extremely excited. I loved her first novel! It had the oddness which I love about books, and her writing is brilliant, so when I saw her latest book released, I contacted Audrey to find out if she would be interested in being interviewed for The Book Club Blog.

As well as being interested, (keep your eyes open in the new year for an exclusive with her) I was also sent a review copy of her book! How pleased and blessed was I? Due to it being sent from America it took a few weeks to arrive, but when it did, I started it straight away and now, my fellow readers, my verdict.

This book is completely different to her first novel in that it concerns two sisters, twins and not just any sort of twins, but symmetrical twins. They are mirror copies of each other and by that I mean internally too. Where it is similar is that it is also based on a relationship. The twins relationship to each other.

Blurb on the back cover:

When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These American girls never met their English aunt;they only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and that Elspeth was her sisiter.  Julia and Vantina are semi-normal teenagers, with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their home in the suburbs of Chicago. They are twenty, and have an intense attachment to each other. The girls move to Elspeth’s flat, which borders the vast and ornate Highgate Cemetery, where Christina Rossetti, George Eliot, Radclyffe Hall, Stella Gibbons, and Karl Marx are living residents of their building. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword-puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive-Compulsive disorder; Marijke, Martin’s devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth’s elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt’s neighbours, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including – perhaps – their aunt.

This is a slightly dark and mesmerising story that Audrey has weaved. It is about love and identity, about secrets and sisterhood, and about the tenacity of life, even after death. It takes you into her world, and sometimes brings a slightly off colour feeling to the reader and makes you wonder what on earth the characters were thinking!

All in all, I found this quite a bizarre book, showing the complexities of human relationships but uplifting at times too. If you enjoy reading rather odd books, give this one a go. I would love to know if anyone has read it, it would be great to chat about it…

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4 Comments »
Dec 18

Inkheart Series – Cornelia Funke

by imsonotablogger

images images images

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if, while reading a book aloud, one of the characters suddenly appeared  in front of you. True to life, living breathing character, suddenly thrust from their world – wherever that may be – straight into the21st century.

This is the premise for the ‘Inkheart’ series. Silvertongue, aptly named for his ability to read characters into life, has kept this secret from his daughter Meggie, but it isn’t kept secret for long as she has started noticing strange people around their house.  There is a story within a story, with vivid characters brought to life from the book Inkheart, written by Fenoglio. And so starts the first book in this series.

What I enjoyed about these books was the idea of who is writing the story, which brings to mind the idea of who is writing ones own story. Do you write it, or has your life already been written for you and you are just following the script?

These are delightful books! And the best part about it is that there are three in the series: Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath. I have recently just finished reading Inkdeath after having discovered the first one about 2 years ago and I was not disappointed.  The final book is full of adventure and magic just like the other two and they are extremely readable books. If you like books with a little bit of magic and yet reality at the same time, these manage to hit the balance perfectly.

They are children’s books but I personally think that one of any age could read them and be spellbound. If you are looking for books as gifts, these are a very good choice. I introduced these to my niece who adored them, in fact, I borrowed Inkdeath from her!

Has anyone else read them? If so, what did you think?

Reviews

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Nov 30

Christmas is coming

by imsonotablogger

And what better time to read Christmas themed books?

christmas+mysteryThe Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder -(of ‘Sophie’s World’ fame) is one of my favourite Christmas books.

Jostein Gaarder weaves a magical tale with his story of Joachim. Joachin buys a magic advent calender on November 30th and every day, a piece of paper falls out of the door of the calendar. Each page tells the story of Elisabet Hansen, who chases a toy lamb that has come to life from an Oslo department store. While chasing the lamb, she meets the angel Epiriel; the shepherds Joshua and Jacob; Caspar, the King of the Orient; and the cherub Impuriel.

This is a perfect book to read at the beginning of December as the lead up to Christmas is happening just as it is in the book. Jostein Gaarder has a delightful way with words and story telling and with some philosophical musings at the same time. it is a mystery about Christmas, and purely delicious.

(I have read all his books, enjoyed them all and will definitely be giving this book a reread this coming Christmas.)

Do you have any favourite Christmas books to share with us?

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Nov 25

Twenties girl – Sophie Kinsella

by imsonotablogger

twenties_girl_l

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella has been on my ‘to be read’ list since I discovered that it had been released. Today, I found it in the library -shock horror, a new book in a the library, who would of thought! My eager hands pulled it off the shelf with such glee, it was like finding an unexpected gift in my hands and I went off to the counter to take it out. Returned home, made some lunch and settled down to start reading it.

And what a joy! This book is delightful, considering that I finished it in a day, I think that’s saying something. It is perfect holiday reading, light and quirky with a mystery thrown in for good measure. It is a ghost story but not a horror filled one.

The book is set in London and starts with Lara about to attend her Great Aunt Sadie’s funeral.  The funeral is family only as no one really kept in touch with Sadie and had lived in an Old Age Home after having a stroke. But this is where the fun begins, because Great Aunt Sadie comes back as a ghost of her 23 year old self, but only Lara can see her! And Sadie needs her help to find a very important necklace, once the necklace is found, only then can she pass on over the ‘the other side’.

And so follows a most delightful story, a mystery and a love story all rolled into one. Sophie Kinsella weaves her characters so that they are as large as life, with a twenties theme to boot. I found it immensely enjoyable and had me laughing out loud in some places. I have to admit to enjoying all her books to date, she has a fresh and unique way of writing, even if it is ‘chick lit’. This book is a great way to pass the time, if you need to, or to just wallow in some good old fashioned story telling, without too much thinking involved.

If you are a ‘chick lit’ or Sophie Kinsella fan, I would recommend her latest book.

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Nov 10

The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova

by imsonotablogger

historian

Ok, so after our bookraiser post, thought it would be nice to have a review of a slightly different book… Have any of you read it? What did you think of it? Did you find it too long or just the right length? Did you enjoy it? I would love to hear from any of you that have read it, or plan to read it, or hated it…

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is a brilliant book. It is a historical novel about Dracula. It is eerie and fascinating and a page turner and a half!

I have to be honest, again, I couldn’t read this book at night time, it gave me goosey pimples so I kept this in my daytime reading schedule. It was while I was doing care work in the UK so I had daytime reading hours to spare, and I hated having to put it down to do actual work!

It is pacy and intriguing and full of wonder.

This is taken from Wikipedia:

The Historian has been described as a combination of genres, including Gothic novel, adventure novel, detective fiction,travelogue, postmodern historical novel, epistolary epic, and historical thriller. Kostova was intent on writing a serious work of literature and saw herself as an inheritor of the Victorian style. Although based on Bram Stoker‘s Dracula, The Historian is not a horror novel, but rather an eerie tale. It is concerned with history’s role in society and representation in books, as well as the nature of good and evil. As Kostova explains, “Dracula is a metaphor for the evil that is so hard to undo in history.”The evils brought about by religious conflict are a particular theme, and the novel explores the relationship between the ChristianWest and the Islamic East.

The book begins like this:

“To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history….”

Late one night, exploring her father’s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to “My dear and unfortunate successor,” and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of—a labyrinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.

The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known—and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself—to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.

This is a thought provoking first novel and what I mostly enjoyed about it was the historical references combined with the young lady in the present.

Give it a go, you may enjoy it…

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Nov 4

Deceptively Delicious – Jessica Seinfeld

by imsonotablogger

deceptively-delicious1

While visiting a friend of mine the other evening, I was bemoaning the fact that trying to get my daughter to eat fruit and vegetables at the moment, is a mean feat. Its not that she doesn’t eat them, its just that I would like them to feature more prominently in her diet than they are at the moment. Granted, she hasn’t been very well – runny nose does not for a pleasant food tasting experience make – and I know that she will be back to normal as soon as she is well, but still.

So, while chatting, out came this book! I had seen it before, but had never really taken a foray into the covers to see what type of recipes it contained, this time I did. And what a joy. There a recipes for all sorts of delicious sounding foods, brownies, chocolate biscuits and cupcakes, to name just a few of the deserts and they all contain a vegetable of sorts. The vegetables have been pureed and apparently are barely, if at all, noticeable within the food. I like this idea! (Not least because it will get the whole family eating more fruit and veg).

The recipes range from dinners, to snacks, to muffins and puddings, there is even one for a chocolate mousse made with avocado. Very bizarre, but looks oh so yummy.

I decided then and there to buy a copy, and happily it arrived via Kalahari this morning. Come Thursday, I will be trying my hand at being deceptively delicious;-)

Have any of you tried out the recipes?

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