Books

Review – The Moon Field by Judith Allnatt

~ Hanna ~ 3 Comments

Happy New Year everyone!

I really hope 2015 will be a great year for all of you. It can only get better 🙂

New Year 2015

I’ve been very busy all through December preparing for Christmas, celebrating my birthday and visiting family. But I didn’t forget to read, so I’ve got a lot of reviews prepared for you. 🙂

The first year of Great War remembrance is over now and I read yet another Great War novel. This time it’s The Moon Field by Judith Allnatt.

The Moon Field
Image provided by Borough Press¹

In 1914, George Farrell, a young English postman decides to join the war in the heat of the moment when he learns that his crush Miss Violet is already promised to someone else. When George and his comrades arrive in France, they are surprised that they are to fight at the front like professional soldiers.

George soon finds himself knee-deep in mud. The cold and wet is creeping into his bones. Reading about the deafening noise of exploding shells and the stench of decomposing bodies is almost unbearable and you’ll start to understand that you can’t imagine what it must have been like for millions of soldiers who fought this war.

While George fights at the front, his best friend Kitty is at home doing men’s jobs and she really enjoys being able to do so. She knows what she wants but has to live a life restricted by society and class. While Kitty is the hard-working girl walking straight into a modern world, Miss Violet seems like a fading picture of a past era. She’s like a princess in a castle waiting for Prince Charming to come and save her.

The plot switches between George’s, Miss Violet’s and Kitty’s view  In the beginning, Miss Violet’s plotline is most gripping, but that changes as soon as George joins the war. Even though it takes a bit to get going and you’ll definitely need a sturdy stomach, The Moon Field is a truly rewarding read.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

¹ http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780007522972/the-moon-field

Review – Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch – How to Operate a Human by Paul Hawkins

~ Hanna ~ 1 Comment

Hi,

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? No? Do you still need a gift for that friend who’s already got everything, or your brother who doesn’t have a single hobby? I might have the perfect gift for you: How about “Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch” (English title How to Operate a Human) by Paul Hawkins?

Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch
Image provided by C. H. Beck¹

“Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch” is a manual for those who want to find out about all those hidden features the human body holds and for those who already know about them but want to have a good laugh anyways.

The book is divided into chapters like “Hardware” and “Software”, “Recharging”, or “Compatibility” that tell us more about the human body’s physique, needs, emotions, communication and relationships.

“Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch” looks very colorful on the outside, but it’s quite basic on the inside. The various shades of red that color the pages remind me of a dictionary or a lexicon, but they don’t look very pretty. If I had to save ink, I would have chosen to go all black and white instead. Overall, however, the book is fun to read with charts and drawings to break up the text.

While “Gebrauchsanweisung Mensch” follows an original idea and Paul Hawkins has a great sense of humor, I advise you to read in tiny dosages. I overdosed just a little and the book seemed to get less fun the more I read. If you stick to my advice, I’m sure you, your friend, brother, or even your dog will be very happy with this manual.

3 Star Rating: Recommended

Thank you Paul for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

¹ http://www.chbeck.de/Hawkins-Gebrauchsanleitung-Mensch/productview.aspx?product=13694778

Review – The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan

~ Hanna ~ Leave a comment

Hello,

After reading Donal Ryan’s wonderful novel The Thing About December, I also had to read The Spinning Heart which was longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.

The Spinning Heart
Image provided by Doubleday¹

In The Spinning Heart, twenty-one inhabitants of a rural Irish town tell us about their lives after Ireland’s financial collapse.

First to tell his story is Bobby Mahon. He was foreman at the local construction firm, its unexpected closing-down having effects on the whole town. Bobby links the twenty other people who follow, but the more stories we get to read, the harder it gets to remember who is who. There are just too many characters and the Irish names I have never heard before make it a guessing game to find out a character’s gender.

The plot is like a puzzle. In the beginning it seems a bit loose, but the further you read, the more the pieces start to fit together. The individual chapters are like short stories that are just connected enough to make The Spinning Heart a novel. This lack of connection makes the book a bit slow to read. Nevertheless, some of the stories make you want to know more and it is a pity that you have to part ways with the characters so soon. Overall, The Spinning Heart is a nice debut, but if you have to choose, I’d recommend you read The Thing About December.

3 Star Rating: Recommended

¹ http://www.transworldbooks.co.uk/editions/the-spinning-heart/9781781620083

Review – A History of Loneliness by John Boyne

~ Hanna ~ Leave a comment

Hi,

I recently read John Boyne‘s latest novel A History of Loneliness which was shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award 2014. As I’ve never read one of Boyne’s books before, I was very happy to get to read this novel in yet another LovelyBooks reader’s circle organized by Penguin Random House UK. Thank you for the chance to discover John Boyne.

A History of Loneliness
Image provided by Doubleday¹

Odran Yates has always felt comfortable in his role as a priest. He likes teaching the boys at Terenure College and he loves taking care of the school library. When one day the Archbishop tells him that he has to move to another parish to fill in for his old friend Tom, Odran only accepts reluctantly and he starts to notice that the Catholic church isn’t the same institution he once thought it to be.

In A History of Loneliness, we follow Odran and the Catholic church through a crisis. In the course of the book, Odran reflects on his difficult past that influenced his becoming a priest. We meet lots of different characters, many with their own crosses to bear. Even though we only get to know them through Odran’s eyes, some of these characters are crafted so vividly you can almost see through them.

I never thought that a book about a priest could actually be that gripping and emotional. Unfortunately, the ending wraps up too neatly for my taste. If you can stomach a literary punch in the gut that will broaden your horizon in regard to the Catholic church, I recommend you read A History of Loneliness.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

¹ http://www.transworldbooks.co.uk/editions/untitled-2/9780857520944

Review – Persuasion by Jane Austen

~ Hanna ~ Leave a comment

I have to be honest with you. I’m smitten and I’m in a moral dilemma because I don’t know who to prefer. I always thought Mr Darcy to be the most wonderful gentleman of all and then there comes Captain Wentworth who is just as perfect.

As some of you can probably guess, I’ve been reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Set in 19th century England, this novel is a trip through the drawing rooms of grand estates and stately cottages with the occasional tour to the English countryside. You really start longing to go on holiday to Bath or Lyme.

In Persuasion, 27-year-old Anne Elliot, a young, intelligent woman past her bloom, is reintroduced to her former fiancée Frederick Wentworth. Wentworth, now a Captain with a large fortune, is on the lookout for a future wife, but he doesn’t seem to take any interest in Anne.

In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure who this book was about, Elizabeth Elliot or her sister Anne (I admit, I didn’t properly read the synopsis). It takes Jane Austen quite some time to stop talking about Elizabeth and finally introduce our heroine Anne. When at some point Captain Wentworth emerges, his interaction with Anne reminds me of English country dancing. The two of them occasionally come near each other just to move apart once again. As the plot takes its course, Captain Wentworth’s character develops from a carefree bachelor into this responsible man who is able to charm millions of readers out there. From this point onwards I was lost, I almost read the whole night through. With Persuasion, Jane Austen puts you onto an emotional roller coaster ride: So much hope, love and agony in one book is hard to bear.

4beans

Review – The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce

~ Hanna ~ 1 Comment

Hi,

Last week, I finished reading Rachel Joyce‘s latest novel The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy and I did this without having read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry first. Some advised me against doing so, while others said it would be perfectly okay to read Queenie on its own. As I got the chance to read Queenie in a Lovelybooks reader’s circle organized by Penguin Random House UK and I never was that interested in Harold’s story, I just skipped Harold Fry.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
Image provided by Doubleday UK¹

Queenie Hennessy has just moved into a hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed when a farewell letter to her old friend Harold Fry makes him walk hundreds of miles to meet her one last time. Queenie starts to write another letter to tell him all the things left unsaid. She remembers the life she had and looks back on the beloved sea garden she built herself. In my opinion, Queenie’s description of the sea garden is the most powerful picture Rachel Joyce creates in the whole novel. The drawing in the back of the book doesn’t do it justice at all.

While Queenie is reserved towards the other residents at the hospice at first, she opens up to them after a while. She is, however, a rather bland person who seems to have given up on life as soon as Harold wasn’t part of it anymore. The real stars of this novel are Queenie’s fellow residents at the hospice. I particularly like Finty and Mr Henderson who couldn’t be more different. Finty has such a great sense of humor and Mr Henderson’s development throughout the book is wonderful to witness. The most memorable scenes in Queenie without doubt include the hilarious moments spent with the residents of the hospice.

The chapters I don’t like that much are the ones that comprise flashbacks to Queenie’s time spent working with Harold. They feel hollow, as if there is something missing. I suspect Rachel Joyce didn’t want to repeat herself by writing something she had already written in Harold Fry and so she just presented us with a very condensed version of the past events. I’m afraid that by doing this, she took the life out of Queenie’s encounters with Harold.

While the middle of The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy was truly gripping, the novel ended just the way it started out: a bit weak. Those who have read Harold Fry will probably love the additional information Queenie gives them. For me, the book would have been wonderful with a closer focus on Queenie’s weeks at the hospice. That would have been enough to keep me glued to the pages without dreading chapters on Harold Fry.

3 Star Rating: Recommended(3.5 magic beans)

P.S.: I’m experimenting with different review formats right now to see what suits me best. So please bear with me 🙂

¹ http://www.transworldbooks.co.uk/editions/the-love-song-of-miss-queenie-hennessy/9780857522450

Halloween Giveaway – The Winners

~ Hanna ~ 4 Comments

Hi,

Thank you for entering the giveaway to win Richard Flanagan’s Man Booker Prize winning novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Image provided by Random House UK¹

The winners are:

  • Bettina E.
  • Janine
  • Ira
  • misshappyreading
  • Hannah J.

I already e-mailed them! Congratulations!

Thank you Penguin Random House UK for providing me with the books for this giveaway!

¹ http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north/9780701189051

Review – The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford

~ Hanna ~ Leave a comment

Hi,

Two weeks ago, I thought it was time for another children’s book and so I chose to read The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford. Unlike some of you, I don’t have any connection to the book and I never saw the TV series. So this was totally new to me.

The Wombles
Image provided by Bloomsbury UK¹
Synopsis quoted from Bloomsbury UK¹:

The Wombles is the first ever Wombles book and introduces the stern but kindly Great Uncle Bulgaria; Orinoco, who is particularly fond of his food and a subsequent forty winks; general handyman extraordinaire Tobermory, who can turn almost anything that the Wombles retrieve from Wimbledon Common into something useful; Madame Cholet, who cooks the most delicious and natural foods to keep the Wombles happy and contented; and last but not least, Bungo, one of the youngest and cheekiest Wombles of all, who has much to learn and is due to venture out on to the Common on his own for the very first time . . .

My Thoughts:

The Wombles is set in Wimbledon Common, London where the Wombles live in an elaborate tunnel system beneath the common.

The book is written around Bungo, a young Womble who doesn’t have much personality and whom, to be honest, I don’t think to be very likeable. His friend, if you can call him that, Orinoco is also still young and quite selfish. This behavior fortunately gets better towards the end of the book. Great Uncle Bulgaria and Tobermory, the oldest and wisest of the Wombles, don’t make a very good introduction either. They behave judgmental and downright rude when interacting with the younger Wombles. The only one who seems to be an okay fellow but doesn’t matter much is Tomsk.

Even if you don’t know The Wombles, the first half of the book can be rather boring because it mainly introduces the (predominantly male) characters and, like I’ve said before, I don’t find them very likeable. The second half becomes more interesting as the story evolves. I really like the idea of the Wombles recycling the trash the humans throw away. This is an important message for everyone reading the book. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to keep me glued to the pages. The Wombles is much too serious for my taste and I really miss some wit. I understand that many love The Wombles because they’ve grown up with them, but I just don’t find them very charming.

2 Star Rating: Recommended(2.5 magic beans)

¹ http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-wombles-9781408808375/

Halloween Giveaway – The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

~ Hanna ~ 1 Comment
Happy Halloween Everyone!

What are your plans for tonight? Are you going trick-or-treating? I’m baking a very spooky cake and in the evening I’ll transform the waiters at a local bar into scary creatures. 🙂

As I’m in a celebratory mood because of Halloween I thought we might as well do a little giveaway. I’ve been talking a lot about this year’s Man Booker Prize and I’ve even read some long- and shortlisted books (you can find the links below), so I thought let’s celebrate Halloween with someone who has something to celebrate: The Man Booker Prize Winner of 2014 Richard Flanagan and his novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

I have to admit that I haven’t read the book yet, but I will do so soon. Penguin Random House UK have been so nice as to offer me five copies of Richard Flanagan’s Booker Prize winning novel to give away. Thank you so much!

The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Image provided by Random House UK¹
What is the book about?¹

Forever after, there were for them only two sorts of men: the men who were on the Line, and the rest of humanity, who were not.

In the despair of a Japanese POW camp on the Burma Death Railway, surgeon Dorrigo Evans is haunted by his love affair with his uncle’s young wife two years earlier. Struggling to save the men under his command from starvation, from cholera, from beatings, he receives a letter that will change his life forever.

Hailed as a masterpiece, Richard Flanagan’s epic novel tells the unforgettable story of one man’s reckoning with the truth.

Giveaway

Like I’ve said before, you can win one of five copies of Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Please read the Terms & Conditions before entering the giveaway! In the Giveaway Tools form, you will be asked to state what country you come from. I need this information as this is an EU wide giveaway (+ SUI & LIE) with three copies going to winners from German-speaking countries and two copies to winners from any EU countries. The second question will be the very tricky 😉 quiz question. So all you have to do to enter is read the Terms & Conditions and, if you are eligible, do everything Giveaway Tools asks you for. Fingers crossed!

Terms & Conditions:

  • This giveaway is open to residents of all EU countries, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
  • You have to be 16 or older to participate.
  • The giveaway runs from October 31, 2014 until November 7 , 2014.
  • Be fair! One entry per person/immediate family/household.
  • Neither Penguin Random House UK nor I are responsible for lost or damaged items. There will be five winners who will each receive one English language copy of Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, sponsored by Penguin Random House UK.
  • Three books are allotted to residents of German-speaking countries (1 book: Austria, 1 book: Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 1 book: Germany). If there is no entry from one of the aforementioned countries, this country’s allotted book will be added to the EU lot.
  • You have to enter through Giveaway Tools.
  • The winner will be selected at random and notified via e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be drawn.
  • The personal information you enter will only be used to contact you in case you win. It will be deleted after the giveaway.
  • I can amend and interpret these official rules at any time, and terminate, suspend or cancel the giveaway at any time for any reason.
  • All decisions are final.
Enter the Giveaway
The Man Booker Prize 2014 books I’ve read:

If you like my blog, I would be very happy if you’d come back from time to time! Happy Halloween!

¹ http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north/9780701189051

Review – Us by David Nicholls

~ Hanna ~ Leave a comment

Hello,

Yesterday, the U.S edition of David Nicholls‘ new novel Us was released. It was longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize, and thanks to HarperCollins US I was able to read an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Us
Image provided by HarperCollins US¹:
Synopsis quoted from HarperCollins US¹:

Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date . . . and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and might even help him to bond with Albie.

My Thoughts:

In Us, David Nicholls takes us on a trip all over contemporary Central Europe. Due to the author’s vivid descriptions, you get to see the replica of Michelangelo’s David on Piazza della Signoria in Florence and a great selection of paintings, including Velazquez’ The Maids of Honor.

The main character Douglas Petersen is a caring but introvert husband and father. He can’t show his feelings and is therefore often misunderstood by his extrovert wife Connie and his teenage son Albie. The relationship between the three is the novel’s main theme and is depicted so realistically you’ll probably be able to relate to at least one situation.

All in all, Us is a wonderful read for someone who misses the summer. You get to travel quite a bit and I think you will probably find someone to connect with. What I find fascinating is the pacing. Overall, Us reads very comfortably, but at some point during the Petersen’s trip the novel’s pace slows down. I think this is intentional, as the trip becomes strenuous for the reader as well as for Douglas and the slow pacing adds to that feeling of strenuousness. If you’re up for a stirring adventure that could make you shed some tears and rethink your own family, Us will be the book for you.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

¹ http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062365583/us