Sunday Bookworm

Behind The Scenes

At The Museum

by

Kate Atkinson

This is my third Sunday Bookworm post, bringing you reviews of books I have recently enjoyed.  Following the recent BBC adaptations of Case Histories by this same author, I thought I would review one of Kate Atkinson's other books - letting you know that she is more than just a detective novelist, albeit a talented one.

Behind The Scenes At The Museum is the story of Ruby Lennox and her family. Not your usual family tale, but a heady mix of historical saga and present day grit. We learn about Ruby's life from childhood to adulthood, punctuated with landmark events and peppered with forgotten memories. Running alongside Ruby's tale is that of her ancestor Alice, and the story hops satisfyingly between the past and the present, pulling you into their lives, their stories, their trials and their tribulations.

This was Kate Atkinson's first published novel, and marked her out as a skilled writer and storyteller. This is not a detective story - although I would highly recommend the Jackson Brodie books as portrayed by the BBC, in particular When Will There Be Good News, which although well represented deserves a fuller reading - nor is it an historical novel. Instead it is a rattling good yarn, with wonderfully drawn characters to whom we can all relate. From the feckless father, to the frustrated mother and the bewildered child, as the story unfolds and the history is revealed they sit comfortably in context with their pasts - proving that we are not just who we are now, but the sum of the lives we have lived, and those who have lived before us.

This is a book that can be enjoyed on so many levels - simply written, and yet strangely deep - there is humour in the main players and the anecdotes of their lives, as well as sadness and situations that we all identify with. There is also mystery and coincidence, and the all different facets of this book make it sparkle like a diamond - it is simply a joy to read.

Please don't expect a plot as such, this is a story that tells a tale and recounts a history. The characters are not special, they are not stars in the making, they are real people - they could be me or you, or our mothers and fathers. There is a stark realism to the book, which only a talented writer could take from the everyday and turn into such a good read. It goes to show that we all have a story, and a history.

I urge you to read this book if what you have read about here appeals to you - you will definitely enjoy it.

You can find out more about the book, the author and her other published works at:

www.kateatkinson.co.uk

Next month's book will be something a little different - from the previous three books I have written about, and for me as a reader, but I assure you it is another cracking good read! Next month I will be reviewing

The Snowman

by

Jo Nesbo

I would love if it if other readers would join me for my Sunday Bookworm, so please leave any comments you wish about any of the books I have reviewed so far - or if you have already read next month's book, and would like your comments included in my review, please feel free to email me at

anna@thelimegarden.co.uk

and let me have your thoughts!

My next Sunday Bookworm blog is scheduled to be posted on Sunday 18th September 2011.

Sunday Bookworm

SISTER

by Rosamund Lupton

This is my second monthly Sunday Bookworm, where I am endeavouring to review books that I have read and enjoyed, and hopefully start some discussions about them - so if you would like to take part, please either leave your comments about this book, or see the end of this post for how to take part in future reviews, and even have your own comments included in the post...

This book was introduced to my via an organised Book Club that I attended for a short while, in fact it was the second of the books that they read since I joined - the first going down universally like a lead balloon amongst all the members - so it was with mixed feelings and some apprehension that I picked it up.

One of my main aims in joining the Book Club was to discover some new authors whose books I could collect and devour, as well as generally broadening my literary mind...  I wouldn't exactly call this particular book mind-broadening - but I have added Rosamund Lupton to my list of authors to follow - which I think is a good indicator that I did enjoy this book!

Essentially you might think that the book is a "whodunnit".  In a nutshell, it charts the story of a woman setting out to find out who has killed her sister, and also why. But to leave it at such a short abbreviated summary is doing it a great dis-service. It is so much more than that.

I didn't know at all what to expect when I picked the book up - having been very disappointed with my previous Book Club read - and I started the book with the rather negative idea that I really wouldn't enjoy it.  And, probably only due to that very state of mind, at first it seemed that my fears were going to be realised.

But wait...

The characters were clearly portrayed, and true to life, and there was definitely a plot brewing! The writing style is easy to read without being dumbed down, and there is a certain appeal to "ordinary people" rather then the sometimes trumped up characters you tend to find in some modern books.

My attitude to the book was being turned - so I rather imagine that if I hadn't started it with a sour mind I probably would have enjoyed it right from the start!

The story soon gathers momentum, and you are introduced to various characters along the way, and you soon become drawn into the twists and turns of the plot. By two thirds of the way through the book you will probably have drawn, and then redrawn, your conclusions about what is going on and "whodunnit" and as the book draws into it's final chapters you really do believe that you have it nailed.

But wait...

The conclusion to the book is very unexpected. I had the perpetrator well and truly wrong! But then this is half the fun of the read. It plays the "whodunnit" card in a new and inventive way, and I defy you not to be hooked! And the bit I love the most - a very sharp twist right at the very end... but you're going to have to read it for yourself, as I'm not giving any more away.

This is a very engaging first novel, and introduces us to an author who promises to play with our minds as much as entertain us with her story lines. Suffice to say, I shall definitely be looking out for more Rosamund Lupton books!

To find out more about this author, and her two novels to date, please visit

www.rosamundlupton.com

Next month's Sunday Bookworm with be posted on

Sunday 21st August

when I will be reviewing

Behind The Scenes At The Museum

by Kate Atkinson

If you have read this book and would like your comments or views included in my review (good or bad, I will accept all-comers) then please email me at:   anna@thelimegarden.co.uk

...with the subject line "Sunday Bookworm" - I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Sunday Bookworm

Welcome to my first Sunday Bookworm - where I am writing about recent favourite reads of mine, hopefully to provoke thought, and encourage others to pick up a good book. I will be announcing next month's book at the bottom of this post, so if you would like to join in the discussion please drop me a line at anna@thelimegarden.co.uk subject "Sunday Bookworm" and tell me what you thought, liked or didn't like about the book in question.

The Ice Cream Girls

by Dorothy Koomson

I first came across Dorothy Koomson as a writer when I read the much publicised "My Best Friend's Girl" way back when it was a Richard & Judy Summer Read - it may have been Ms Koomson's third novel - but for me it was her first, and it will always remain my favourite. I have been avidly collecting and reading all of the rest of her books ever since, and The Ice Cream Girls has been the latest one I have read. The writer likes to tackle emotional issues in her stories, although for me it is the depth of characters and realism that also shine through.

The Ice Cream Girls tells the story of two young women who were charged at a very young age with a brutal crime. One girl is convicted, and one is cleared. Now their paths cross again, and we are witness to the development and fall out that this brings to their lives. We learn the history to their supposed crime, told in sometimes alarmingly graphic detail, and are slowly drawn into their world - even thinking, what would I do in their situation?

This is one excellent novel! It is bold in the way it tackles a potentially very sensitive subject, and yet treats it with compassion at the same time. Personally, I thought it had a touch of "Martine Cole" about it - not in a bad way, but in it's realism, grittiness and down to earth nature - although it still retains Ms Koomson's own style and identity.

The characters are well drawn and totally credible, and the writer's ability to tell the story from two peoples angles, at two different ages in their lives, shows a lot of talent. The stage is again very credible - no yummy mummies, or public school off spring here (my banes of modern "chick lit") - set in Real England, warts and all. It is interesting to see how one act can touch so many lives, even years after it has taken place, and this adds depth and intrigue to the story. There are buried secrets and inner turmoils to be uncovered, moral avenues to be explored, and engaging people to meet.

Oh, and also there is a great twist in the tale at the end!

If you are interested in this, or any other book by Dorothy Koomson, or indeed finding out more about the lady herself, then she has an excellent website at www.dorothykoomson.co.uk which I urge you to explore.

Is My Best Friend's Girl still my favourite? Hmmm, to be honest, I'm not too sure any more!

Next month's Sunday Bookworm will be posted on 17th July 2011 and I will be reviewing...

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

I do hope you will join in and send me any comments!