Books Of The Month

This month I've been enjoying reading an old favourite The Careful use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith, the fourth book in the Sunday Philosophy Club series. I love McCall Smith's writing; its so thoughtful and funny, and extremely life like. You can imagine bumping into his characters on the street and a conversation occurring like those in the book. They feel like friends and so its a comforting read, great to snuggle up with. The series is centred around Isobel Dalhousie, a philosopher and her partner and young son. Its set in Edinburgh, a city I've always loved and these books make me love it even more.  You can buy it here.

Another book I couldn't put down is The Secret History by Donna Tart, which you can get here. Its the first Donna Tart book I've read but I'll be reading more now. The book is about a group of American College students, who become friends (though its a rather dysfunctional friendship) but it all starts to unravel and ends in them killing one of their friends (that's not a huge spoiler, don't worry-it tells you in the first sentence). Its very gripping, with so many twists and turns to keep you reading. Having said that, its very focused on Ancient Greek philosophy which is probably fascinating if that's your thing, but its not mine and I found myself getting a bit bored by it. Like yeah, we've got that point, now move on. Although the intricacies of the philosophy side was probably lost on me, I did find the general moral idea of the book interesting-we are almost persuaded to empathise with the murderers.
Another criticism: I didn't like any of the main characters. I don't really think you're meant to, but it often makes a book easier to read if you actually care about the people in it. In fact, I just found them all increasingly irritating. However, that didn't stop me reading it, as I wanted to find out whether they managed to find their brains and common sense and actually manage to get themselves out of the situations they found themselves in (they did-by killing him). That all sounds quite negative, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it-just prepare to be irritated by fictional characters.

Helen x

Book of the Month

I'm a regular reader of the Guardian and usually the first thing I do is turn to the beauty section to read Sali Hughes' weekly column which I love, and so I was very happy when I finally got my hands on her book- Pretty Honest. It's £22 (though cheaper on Amazon-you can get it here)

It's a good thick book packed with sensible, straight forward tips and advice on everything from salon etiquette to acne. All the sections are written in Sali's characteristic no-nonsense style, which I love, and all are genuinely useful. I particularly enjoyed the sections on daily skincare routine, foundation and Teen beauty-all very relevant and well thought out. There's some lovely photos in it, but its mainly just good solid advice. I read it cover to cover, irritating my family by continuously saying 'Sali says…' and then quoting some new fact I'd learnt. I'm now dipping in and out, picking it up before heading to Boots so I know what ingredients to avoid in skincare for oily skin, or what blush she recommends. It truly is a Beauty Bible. I love it-can you tell?

Helen x

Books that make you think

Occasionally what you fancy is a book that has a nice easy plot and doesn't require much concentration. Sometimes however it's good to read a book that leaves you feeling a little less secure in what you take for granted. These are my favourite books that do just that:

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

This is a classic, and rather well loved in my family as you can see from the well worn cover! This was first published in 1950, but still feels relevant. The book is centred around Winston Smith, who lives in a country governed by Big Brother-a dictator like figure who is never actually seen but drives fear into everyone. Every aspect of peoples lives is controlled, and this becomes quite scary in places as it is so shocking. More worryingly, however, is that when reading it you start to recognise elements of the book in actual countries and it does not seem so unimaginable that parts of the Big Brother regime could at some point happen in real life.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

This book is clearly written to appeal to the 'hunger games/divergent/gone' audience, but the idea it contains is very interesting. Set in a future world, it talks about how the 'rusties' i.e. the current human race died out as they failed to adapt and create new technologies and so experienced a crisis. It also explores the idea of the obsession for perfection in society, and what happens when people reject this idea.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I have just finished reading this and whilst I wouldn't say I liked it, due to the really quite sinister plot, I know I'll be re-reading it. The American government uses extremely low birth rate and an increase in sexual assaults as an excuse to radically change the way society functions-people are ascribed a role and are effectively brain washed into believing this is their duty. Out of all these books, this one left me questioning things more, and the warning it carries really affected me.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

This book looks at racism but flips it so that to be black is to be considered right, and desirable. It's very fast paced and leaves you looking at things a little differently to how you might have previously. 

Books of the month

I recently picked up a few books for just a pound each at a charity book shop, and started reading them straight away, despite the fact I was meant to be reading Jane Eyre in preperation for next year. 

My first Book of the Month is The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. This book follows Georgia who runs a knitting shop in New York and daughter and friends. A knitting club gradually forms, and so draws all different types of people together. Their stories are cleverly interwoven as they become closer. The ending is not a typical 'happily ever after' as I expected, but many of the characters stories are nicely tied up in a fairly un-imaginative way. I enjoyed this, in a nice, easy, comforting way but will not necessarily be re-reading it. 

                                

My next book is Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult. Jodi Piccoult's books are, I think, very similar to the well loved James Bond books. They are fairly predictable, hugely popular and almost impossible to put down. They all follow a similar pattern-the introduction of the characters; the development of whatever 'issue' this particular book is about; and then a large proportion of the book spent on the court case. Handle With Care is no different, but I liked it nonetheless. Piccoult's books may be something of a blockbuster but they are all very well written, heart wrenching and with well developed characters. What I like most about them is the often controversial issues which they explore, and so get the reader to think more about. 

Helen x

Books of the Month

I've been reading more this month as I have finished school, so have lots of time to do absolutely nothing. 

One of my books this month is by the same author as my April books of the month. I just love Kate Atkinson's books! Luckily she's written quite a few, so I still have lots to work my way through. 

This month I've been loving Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson, available from £6 on Amazon. I actually bought it for my sister, but stole it from her as soon as she finished reading it. 

Atkinson's style of writing is just so unique: the way she weaves tales around each other and goes from past to present and back again without confusing you is amazing. 

Human Croquet is partly a fairytale, partly a mystery, but also about Isobel Fairfaxe, the narrator, as she discovers who she is. The village of Lythe, where Isobel lives, was once set in the heart of a mysterious forest, home to dark secrets, Shakespeare, and runaway brides. A descendent of these forest people, Isobel often gets stuck in time warps, and spends the rest of the time with her mad family; a brother obsessed with finding their missing mother, a war hero turned shopkeeper father, a step-mother who longs for a baby and turns increasingly neurotic and a grumpy aunt hiding a secret. She seeks refuge from her family in her friend Audrey's home, but that too, is not altogether normal. This book contains less of the humour normally found in Kate Atkinson novels, and is a lot darker, and made me cry quite a lot, but I loved it nonetheless. 

I definitely recommend Kate Atkinson as an author!

Helen x

April books of the month and an apology

Firstly, I'd like to apologise for my absence from the blogging world. I'm in year 11 and we are steadily approaching the exam season. I have 19 exams to revise for, so I have been very busy and haven't had an awful lot of time to blog recently. It's really annoying as I have quite a few posts lined up but just no time to write them! I'm going to do my beauty bargain of the month and my books of the month and then a couple more posts spread out over the month. After that though, I'll be in the middle of exams so I'm afraid I'll just have to fit blogging in whenever I have a bit of same time. 

Anyway, on to my books of the month.

This month my favourite books are by the same author, whom I hadn't heard about till recently. 

My first book is Behind the scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. This is £4.99 from Amazon. 

This book is about Ruby Lennox and her life. It's quite hard to go into a lot of detail about the plot,because essentially, it is a very well written book about Ruby and her bizzare, yet very relatable family. In some parts it is in the present tense and I parts, the footnotes, it is about her forebearers. At times it is very funny and at times very dark, but always written in a very unique, readable way. 

The second book is Life after Life, by Kate Atkinson, available from £4 on amazon. I have always been fascinated by what happens after we die. I'm not religious, and don't believe in the idea of there being a place called Heaven, as such, but I'd like to think that something happen after we die. I'm not sure what that something is, but I'm always interested to read about it.  A Buddhist once came into my primary school and spoke of what she believed and how she had a friend who died and came back as another friends son: I remember being fascinated by the idea we can be reincarnated and live again and again. But Buddhist ideas aside, what if we could live multiple times, till we got it right, or at least until we made it as good as we possibly could? Would you even want to? This idea is what Atkinson explores in this very moving, very clever book. Ursula Todd is born on a dark, snowy night and dies repeatedly in the book, so that she can be born again and try to rectify the mistakes that were made in her last go. It seems like a confusing concept but actually it works very well as each 'life' is clearly defined. 

I loved this book, and I'm sure it will be one I re-read again and again. 

Helen x