Love For Books

One True Thing by Anna Quindlen

An inspiring story about Ellen, who leaves her wonderful career as a Manhattan journalist, to care for her dying mother.

Ellen’s father insisted she quit her job to take care of her terminally ill mother following cancer being diagnosed. Growing up, Ellen hardly knew her mother, as she preferred the company of her English Professor father. She didn’t find the demand that she put her career on hold to care for her mother, to her liking, but as the story progresses, Ellen was her mother’s closest companion during the last few months of her life.

An overdose was the finding of the autopsy, but who could have administered it? Ellen knew for sure it was not her. In fact Ellen’s father had spoon fed her mother’s final meal, but didn’t mention it to anyone, even when a grand jury investigated her mother’s death and prime suspect was Ellen.

The end is surprising, even challenging and thought provoking.

The Dive From Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer

When we walk away from a loved one, one who needs our support and our “being there” should we see it as a strength or a weakness?

This is a question at the heart of a wonderful emotionally thrilling and intimate novel.

The central character of the story is 23 year old Carrie Bell, who has lived in Wisconsin all of her life. Carries best friend is the same one as when she was a young girl and her sweetheart is the same she has the same, easygoing, relaible and dependable guy from her high school days.

Carrie is beginning to find her life suffocating and is even contemplating leaving it– all behind even Mike her boyfriend of what seems like so many years.

But there’s a twist in the tale and the young couple, who are on a picnic when Mike breaks his neck jumping off of the pier, as a results of the accident, Mike is paralysed.

Carrie goes through a whole catalogue of emotions, where leaving him seems unforgivable and probably the last thing in the world she should do, but she also feels like doing so is an absolute necessity in order to live her life to the full.

The book describes this dilemma– and Carries response to it–, it’s a very realistic story and takes us through the roller coaster that is Carries emotions.

A Good Year by Peter Mayle

Max Skinner works in London’s financial sector, but things aren’t going too well and Max isn’t exactly setting the financial world alight, then to make matters worse, his biggest client is stolen by his supervisor! 

His recently deceased uncle left him a vineyard in Provence and Max decides to check it out. Once he arrives in Provence, Max falls for the place and almost forgets his inheritance, with the food, landscape and glorious weather distracting his attentions, along with a stunning local bistro owner and gorgeous notaire who is handling the estate 

The wine produced by the vineyard is very poor, but even so, his caretaker very strangely appears anxious to buy the land. 

A beautiful woman arrives from California and appears to have a legitimate claim to the estate Max inherited, her knowledge of vineyards is much better than Max’s. The plot takes us on a roller coaster ride before it is finally resolved.

I have to say I really enjoyed reading this, my first Peter Mayle book and intend to read others by the author. This is a truly wonderful story revolving around the wine trade and makes excellent reading and comes with my recommendation.

The Shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This book is set in Barcelona. I found it very hard to read and get into, once id got further into the book I found it very challengeing and gripping and turned out to be a very emotional and good read. It was full of twists turns, ups and downs and myteries and charged with emotion.

Hidden in old Barcelona is the ‘cemetery of forgotten books’, a labyrinthey of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. A father brings his 10-year-old child Daniel one cold morning in post war Barcelona. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out ‘La Sombra Del Viento’ by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax’s works in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. 

Ice man

Richard Kuklinski who is ‘the Ice Man’ was leading a double life for years, he was one of the most notorious professional hit men in American history , at the same time as he was playing the doting father and hosting neighbourhood barbecues in. John Gotti hired  the ice man to kill his neighbour who accidentally ran over his son. Kuklinski was Sammy ‘the Bull’ Gravano’s partner in the murder of Paul Castellano. He also claims to have been closely involved in the killing of Jimmy Hoffa. He was a sadistic cold-hearted killer ,it was his passion, he never disappointed his customers. For an extra cost, he would make his victims suffer he even filmed them being tortured and showed . Kuklinski says he killed over 200 men.
Years after police brought the Ice Man to justice , he agreed to do a series of interviews with a filmmaker. The disturbing results were shown in three very successful documentaries.
This book was really interesting. Kuklinski was a very twisted sadistic man. Its terrible to read some of the things that he did to people. Once you’ve read the book you will want to watch the interviews that he did. Its a fascinating read if you’re into crime books.

Catherine Cookson

Catherine Cookson was born Kate McMullen at 5 Leam Lane in Tyne Dock, South Shields, which was then part of County Durham, later she moved to East Jarrow, County Durham (now in Tyne and Wear), which became the setting for one of her best selling books, The Fifteen Streets. Catherine was the illegitimate child of an alcoholic mother, Kate Fawcett. When she was a child, Catherine thought that her unmarried mother was her sister, and her grandmother Rose McMullen and her step-grandfather John McMullen raised her.
Catherine left school aged 13 and, after a period of domestic service, she took a laundry job at HartonWorkhouse in South Shields. In 1929 she moved south to run the laundry at Hastings Workhouse, saving every penny to buy her a large Victorian house and then taking in gentleman lodgers to supplement her income.
In June 1940, at the age of 34, she married Tom Cookson who was a teacher at Hastings Grammar School. After having four miscarriages late in pregnancy, it was discovered that she was suffering from a rare vascular disease, telangiectasia, which causes bleeding from the nose, fingers and stomach and results in anemia. A mental breakdown followed the miscarriages, from which she took a decade to recover.

A Good Yarn (Blossom Street, No 2) by Debbie Macomber

I read “A Good Yarn” and once again it had me wanting more! 

I had read the first book by Debbie Macomber and I was eagerly awaiting her book. I read A Good Yarn even more quickly than the first. It really was a wonderful read and, as did her the first book, a knitting pattern is included (a very nice touch). This time the pattern was for socks. 

The story takes us to a place where women feel very much at home. They are among friends, new friends and old friends. The first woman you meet is the owner of the shop, Lydia Hoffman.  The story revolves very much around the knitting classes held by Lydia.

The four central characters find comfort and companionship in each other and in their craft. I would never have thought that knitting socks would have an impact that could have change your life?

I would highly recommend this book for anyone (and not just for knitters). It makes you feel so lucky, it touches the soul because your life lacks the heartache and drama that the women feel.

A Good Woman by Danielle Steel

Annabelle Worthington (now aged 19), was born into privilege, but all changed in April 1912, when the Titanic sinking, changed her world. Her grief gave her a new found strength as she poured herself into voluntary work, finding a passion for medicine that would change her life forever.

Her husbands secrets, took Annabelle’s seemingly idyllic marriage to the depths of despair. Annabelle goes to war-ravaged France as she hopes a life of service will help her escape the despair of her marriage. 

In a field hospital in France, Annabelle studies medicine to help save lives. By the end of the war, Annabelle starts a new life as a doctor in Paris, her past is by now almost forgotten, until an ill fated meeting when she opens her heart about her previous life and world which she thought she had left behind her.

Annabelle Worthington, is portrayed as a remarkable woman, who triumphs against all the odds, her story celebrates  her life, her courage and is testament to her will to survive.

Buying books online

Some of the best bargains can be found on line and this includes buying books. You can find discounts of up to 75% when you buy on line, here are some favourite websites;

Amazon is one of the best-known online book stores. A quick and efficient site which allows you to search or browse for different types of books by author, title and genre. You can get 50% off best selling titles and smaller discounts (10-20%) on other books the site also includes customer reviews so you can see what other people think before you buy…

Books Direct links you to the UK’s best book clubs. This site is not a new Internet entrant, as they have had over 35 years experience and have over 2 million members. Discounts on bestselling titles can be as high as 75%, but you’ do have to join a club. Recommended for regular buyers.

Waterstone’s is one of the UK’sbiggest specialist booksellers, its flagship store which is in Piccadilly; London is the biggest bookshop in Europe. You can now buy books directly online from Waterstone’s website. The Waterston’s editorial team also provides honest reviews, literary news and book recommendations.

Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown

This book offers an interesting insight into the world of mind reading, and memory improvement. If you are a fan of the much loved TV programs or you are interested in how the mind works and interprets information then you will love this book. It’s very interesting to see the world as Derren Brown sees it.

 
In this book Derren teaches you how to look for and read clues in people’s behaviour and how to spot when somebody is telling a lie. He discusses hypnosis in the book and tells how you can do it. He also investigates the power of suggestion and shows how you can improve your memory. He also looks at the paranormal industry and why many of us believe in it.
After watching and loving many of his TV shows I decided to buy his book. It was a very interesting, insightful read that makes you think differently. You will probably finish this book thinking you’re a mind reader! Although a lot of what he teaches in the book is hard to follow ,its an amazing read that I would recommend to people of all ages .If you’re interested in how people’s minds work you will love this book