The Philadelphia Cookbook by Philadelphia UK

December 28, 2016November 26, 2016Leave a comment

I was searching through our bookshelves while writing the bookcase tour post and I stumbled across this Philedelphia book which I realised I haven’t yet reviewed. I love cooking and having my own kitchen has made that so much easier. I’ve made a dozen of the recipes from this book many times, especially when I’ve had to make dinner for lots of people on a tight budget, so I thought I would share my favourites with you.

Everyone adores cool, creamy Philadelphia, and it’s not just for spreading in a bagel – it’s an incredibly versatile cooking ingredient. Here for the first time are 110 fabulous recipes from the Philly team, from Party bites, Breads and bagels, Soups and light lunches, to Salads, Pasta, Fish and seafood dishes, Chicken, Rice and Risotto, and of course lots of Sweet treats and Divine cheesecakes.

Every single recipe has a handy Top Tip, and there are easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for Philly novices and cooking experts alike. Packed with beautiful colour photography throughout, The Philadelphia Cookbook makes an invaluable addition to any kitchen.

I guess the main thing I’ve got to get across, probably like in every cookery book review is that this shouldn’t be another cookery book that just sits on your shelf. Since I got my tiny mitts on this book every time I’m lacking some inspiration it’s one of the first ones that I pick up. The book is split up into lots of sections including, soups, light lunches, breads & bagels, dinners, (including pasta, fish, rice, chicken and vegetables,) sweet treats and a separate section for cheesecakes if you’re into that thing.

So, how is it to use? The book is really easy to use and there are never too many ingredients. I always find that some cookery books have incredible looking dishes but they just have too many things going on. The most ingredient heavy recipe is the butternut, cauliflower and chickpea curry (which is delicious) and even that once you’ve bought the vegetables has mainly things you’ll find in your cupboard (such as chopped tomatoes, stock, olive oil etc.) The top tips are actually really good – some are a little obvious but it does explain some cooking styles (like sweating) or how to change up the dish for different tastes and the photographs are brilliant.

I think the book is really versatile – when I bought this I was a little suspicious about the bagels breads and the cheesecakes, there are the usual suspects (the classic smoked salmon bagel,) but other interesting combinations like roast vegetable and roast pumpkin bruschettas and also some fruit bagels (which don’t taste as odd as they sound,) are also included.

My favourites from the book include the thai green curry which has only a handful of ingredients and can be whipped up in only 15 minutes. The creamy mushroom risotto is also a goodun and although takes a bit of cooking tastes incredible and the baked sweet potatoes which are super healthy and also delicious. All have only a few number of ingredients and taste like they’re kinda difficult (but they’re super easy.) The desserts are also extensive and go beyond the sterotypical vanilla cheesecake including summer berry charlotte, a carrot cake and even a tiramisu.

I have to make a quick aside and mention that each of the recipes has a calorie and macro count. I realise for a lot of people that this probably isn’t important but, for me, and for anyone that is trying to keep an eye on their weight it is SUPER HELPFUL. Additionally, cream cheese tends to be pretty bad for you, but I find that a lot of the recipes, especially the soups are really reasonable.

So would I recommend this? Hella yes I would – although I guess if you don’t really like cream cheese it might not be for you? But if it is, then definitely invest in this book. I’m off to make a massive batch of creamy bean soup, I don’t know about you but that sounds amazing.

Linnnnnks

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The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

December 21, 2016November 21, 2016Leave a comment

You know when you buy a book for someone and they just don’t love, or they keep slightly quiet about it. Well, I bought this for T a couple of months back because he’s a cat person (I’m not a cat person in the slightest,) and seeing as he was trying to read quite heavy political books at the time I thought – he would love that. Turns out he didn’t, so I decided to read it and let you know what I thought – so read on to find out.

A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo. They work at home as freelance writers. They no longer have very much to say to one another.

One day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. She is a beautiful creature. She leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. New, small joys accompany the cat; the days have more light and colour. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife; they go walking together, talk and share stories of the cat and its little ways, play in the nearby Garden. But then something happens that will change everything again.

The Guest Cat is an exceptionally moving and beautiful novel about the nature of life and the way it feels to live it. The book won Japan’s Kiyama Shohei Literary Award and was a bestseller in France and America.

Right, so The Guest Cat is a very simple novella with a very simple plotline. A young couple renting a beautiful guesthouse become enamoured by a tiny cat who they attempt to entice into their home. Refusing to pick her up or invade her space the cat quickly becomes a regular visitor and soon has the young couple under her spell. The couple know that the tenure in the guesthouse will come to an end in a few short months as the older couple who own the house attached to it are becoming a little old and frail and the estate will be sold and bulldozed to be made into flats. With this in mind, the couple spends as much time with the darling cat Chibi. The story narrates the touching story of the warmth, light and meaning the little cat brings to the lives of the couple.

I might seem a little bland or a little two dimensional but this book is so much more than that; it brings a life lesson both of love, companionship and respect. The Guest Cat is written in first person narration, almost in a memoir recollection. It has both detailed paragraphs and events that pinpoint important moments in the life of the couple of the cat (and there is cause to believe this is a true story.) There is very little interaction between characters it’s really a focus on the relationship between the couple and the cat that grows beautifully throughout.

The writing is very poetic and very descriptive and I have to say it’s my very favourite writing style. I love overly descriptive text and I think at times this can cause the story to become very loose in terms of tangents and time frames. I think at times this could cause some readers to become bored (I think this is where T struggled with the book) but for me, it just wove stronger the bonds between the three ‘characters,’ and as I continued through I grew quite attached despite the shortness of the book.

There are inconsistencies – Chibi is described with different colourings at one point which is a minor flaw, but at one point the wife and the cat have quite a tense falling out, Chibi bites her and she, in turn, discards the bed they’ve set up, the toys they’ve accumulated; but a passage or so later they are fine the cat is back and there is no explanation. I did like however that Chibi is referred to throughout but the humans are never named. The writer, his poet wife, the friend named Y – the names referred to towards the end are all cats. I liked this.

I get why T wasn’t sure on this – on a superficial level, it’s a story about a cat and a young couple and their relationship. Underneath it’s about so much more – the trouble of housing, the relationships that are altered and damaged by the cat, the personality changes from having a new companion and the climax of the story how this can abruptly change at any moment (for multiple reasons.) This is a decent little read that will entertain, provide a little philosophical insight but will probably really you consider getting your own little Chibi.

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Fiddle City by Dan Kavanagh

December 14, 2016November 25, 2016Leave a comment

Did I mention we now live a ten-minute walk from a beautiful bookstore where all the books are only a £1? Did I? Have you fainted? God, it’s been a struggle not to buy something new every, single, day. But T and I have been good. I already have a bookcase full of books and an entire rooms worth of books back at home and T has a growing collection. We’ve been in twice and so far we’ve bought 5 books. Yes, only five and here’s a review of one those beauties.

Everyone knows a bit of petty theft goes on in the freight business at Heathrow – it is fiddle city, after all. But things have gone beyond a joke for Roy Hendrick and he suspects someone who works for him is helping themselves to more than they should. That’s when he sets Duffy on the case.

A bisexual ex-policeman, Duffy runs a struggling security firm, has an obsessive attitude to cleanliness and can often be found propping up the bar at the Alligator. Duffy agrees to work for Hendrick and goes undercover to try and root out the culprit.

But things aren’t all they’re cracked up to be and soon Duffy worries he’s trying to be bought. What’s the story behind the imperious HR manager Mrs. Boseley with her permanently frosty demeanour? And is Hendrick really as honest as he claims to be? Duffy’s up to his neck in it.

As the blurb suggests the book follows the hard-hitting but exciting investigation from the bisexual, ex-policemen and security firm owner/only employee Duffy. Hired by Roy Hendricks, following an almost hookup in a gay bar, Duffy is required to help Hendricks who is fed up with his freight going missing and his customers getting pretty annoyed. One of Hendricks employees has had a rather terrible accident on the M4 and so there’s a vacancy for Duffy. It soon becomes apparent there are a number of dirty dealings going on when a massive wodge of cash appears in Duffy’s locker. From then on we join Duffy’s investigation as he attempts to unearth what on earth is going on with the help of an incredibly downbeat security guard from Heathrow who has a surprising number of stories as to how someone can fiddle the airport and its staff.

So what did I think? First things first Duffy is an incredible character; he has this brutish exterior but he’s also obsessed with cleanliness and he can’t anything ticking in his bedroom. Meaning that if there are any after-dark activities in Duffy’s bedroom they have to deposit their watching in a box in the bathroom. The writing has a coarse style that I really enjoyed and the dating of the book (the 1980’s) is very subtly working in with the use of telephone boxes and no mention of the M25. The humour is incredibly dry and basic but also a little wonderful – there are a number of scenes placed in a topless bar and the writing here is especially amusing. At one point I had to show T and we both dissolved into slightly disgusted giggles.

The writing is very distinctive and throughout it keeps a good pace and a really intriguing plot-line. The little stories woven in by the disgruntled security guy help to keep the mystery fresh and I thought that although the book was an easy read it definitely had a darker seedier side that darkened as I read to the end of the book. It’s also impossible to dislike Duffy

I thought this book was a lot of fun and although I was a little worried I wouldn’t get it at the beginning it turned into a very interesting but dark humoured books with lots of twists and turns. Incredibly glad I picked this up at the bookshop and now I think I might need to go back and add another of this author’s books to my collection.

Linnks

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Walk the Lines: The London Underground by Mark Mason

December 7, 2016November 26, 2016Leave a comment

“A man once said “A bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else,” and I might have to agree. I guess it will come as no surprise that since I moved to London books that revolve around London have been cropping up on my radar a little more. I want to talk extensively about my move here at some point and how it’s honestly changed me but for now I want to talk a little about a book I’ve been dipping in and out of not, truly ‘reading’ in giant hunks, but one I’ve enjoyed all the same. Walk the Lines by Mark Mason.

The only way to truly discover a city, they say, is on foot. Taking this to extremes, Mark Mason sets out to walk the entire length of the London Underground – overground – passing every station on the way.

In a story packed with historical trivia, personal musings and eavesdropped conversations, Mark learns how to get the best gossip in the City, where to find a pint at 7am, and why the Bank of England won’t let you join the M11 northbound at Junction 5. He has an East End cup of tea with the Krays’ official biographer, discovers what cabbies mean by ‘on the cotton’, and meets the Archers star who was the voice of ‘Mind the Gap’.

Over the course of several hundred miles, Mark contemplates London’s contradictions as well as its charms. He gains insights into our fascination with maps and sees how walking changes our view of the world. Above all, in this love letter to a complicated friend, he celebrates the sights, sounds and soul of the greatest city on earth.

As the blurb suggests the book follows Mason who has lived in around London during is twenties and thirties and like many Londoner’s (I assume) has become interested in the ever changing and evolving map of the Underground. Wandering around where he lives, he travels up a side-street he hasn’t before and realizes if he continues he’ll create a triangle back to his house – a realization he hasn’t made before. Through this realization he decides to walk the entirety of each length of the line in a type of homage to the city. Line by line and with the help of his friend Richard he beings to walk these tube lines and learns and tells us a lot about the city I bloody adore.

I just want to put in a little aside here – Mason only walks 11 of the London Underground Lines refusing to walk the Overground Line and the DLR (which I find a little unfair – definitely still part of London.) Mason wanders the line giving snippets of local history, miscellaneous facts that might one day help on a pub quiz and changes in the line themselves. He is a really entertaining narrator (especially in the beginning of the book) and I found myself desperate to undertake the walks myself especially the Circle Line Pub Crawl.

I guess it’s important to explain I haven’t finished this book and it’s one of the reasons why I’m also yet to finish a Bill Bryson book (which this author certainly reminded me of.) The beginning of the book is really interesting, it’s new ground, it’s a non-fiction book written in a fiction style (in terms of the narration) but soon, as you can imagine we do end up walking through endless housing estates and then leading back into the same famous central locations that we all know and love. As the lines cross we do get quite a bit of repetition.

Due to this a lot of stations do end up being cut; the first couple of stations take up a couple of chapters but as we go further in stops between Whitechaple and Upminster take up a quarter of this. I think a big selling point to this (unless you live along the DLR or the Over Ground shrugs) is that you get to pick out your station and read about it, but many don’t get the coverage unless they’re big names (ie Wimbledon or Morden.) Finally, Mason appears to get a little bored with his own story; although the pub crawl is fun it does feel as though Mason realized that he’d lost a little passion and needed something to inject to make it fun. Following this certain walks are undertaken in the snow and done at night (which does stop the author seeing a lot of the highlights.)

I think a main problem is that it doesn’t really reference people, it references buildings and so it lacks a little passion. I’ve seen it described in context with Bleeding London by Geoff Nicholson but they have two very different ways of telling this story that don’t really overlap.

So, what did I think. I really enjoy dipping in and out of this book – read one tube line, put the book down for a bit, read another tube line, put it down for a bit. It’s not a book I think I could physically read in one go because for me it just lacks a little something. A little bit of a human touch. However – perfect gift for a new Londoner and even more perfect gift for a walker who might be tempted to walk the 11 (cough) lines. For me a great dip in and out but not quite there.

LIIIIINKS

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Man or Mango by Lucy Ellwood

November 30, 2016November 24, 20161 Comment

Do you ever pick up a book and thing; WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ? If you like those style of reviews you’re in for a treat because I’m about to attempt to review a book I’m still not a hundred percent sure I understood. Which could lead to a whole lot of confusion. But let’s give it a go – it’s a Thursday after all.

Eloise is the sad, mad, and hermetic heroine at the center of Lucy Ellmann’s hilarious new novel. A middle-aged cellist who hides herself away in a tiny British cottage, she blames the world for its lack of love, and similarly despises it for its anger. It is not until her beloved cello is stolen–and her former lover, an American poet named George, returns–that she is finally drawn out from her shell. Man or Mango? offers a witty, original take on the age-old question: Is love worth the hassle?

I think we’ll take this review step by step; the book follows the life of Eloise who is a unmarried British woman who is nursing a very fragile and broken heart. After inheriting her father’s estate, she creates a hermit style existence inside a quaint Tudor cottage where she decides to hide from the world. Inside this hermitage she creates an existence that mirrors her fathers neglected bottle collection, “in undisciplined retirement, loveless and liquidless.” She avoids any interaction with others and has specific times of recovery for each interaction, innocent glance her way (ten minutes) verbal contact (hours) having that verbal contact rejected by a friend after a social event (days.) Surrounded by her gang of feral cats Eloise attempts not to think about the man that broke her heart.

Enter George, an American who has moved to England to write an epic poem on Ice Hockey (are you still with me?) He has left his ex-wife in Massachusetts to come to the land of the great poets and perhaps a sneaky second chance with Eloise the woman he fell for whilst he was still married. He gets a ‘gig’ as a writer-in-residence at the London University but spends a hell of a lot of the time warbling about getting Eloise back and moaning about British sensibilities. He’s also a little obsessed with the notebook of one of his students that showed a little promise but was killed in an accident the night that he yelled at her for not attending one of his classes. This notebook is stuffed with story ideas and character creations. George seeks solace in the notebook and tries to work out how badly he hurt Eloise. As the two move closer together lots of new characters start to intermingle in the story of Eloise and George and it all gets a lot more messy.

So that’s the background of the book that took a lot longer than I thought it would; the way the book gets a little surreal is the writing style. Ellman used lists, obsessive letters to other characters (and the council as Eloise attempts to shut everyone out of her hermit style life.) insect-life descriptions, layered realities, flash backs and flash forwards. The writing style has a very surreal feel also – nothing is said how you would expect it to be said and it creates a really intriguing style but throughout it can be a little alienating. I’m going to insert some quotes that might help to explain this;

“One of my cats reminds me of my mother. I pat my mother in her. Reincarnation of evaporated mother.”

“Unable to make babies, they make bombs instead. Men menstruate by shedding other people’s blood.”

“She stood eating soup in her overgrown garden, looking up at stars she could not name.”

Passages in the writing (for example the last quote) can be incredibly beautiful but at times the narrative left me a little lost. I felt like I was reading something really interesting but I couldn’t quite grasp it. I couldn’t quite get there.

Despite this the characters that are told are really brilliantly written; we don’t get a full picture of them but by using their writing styles (seen in the lists and the letter etc) we get a wide view into the characters and their personalities. The ending is ironic but if you’ve read the start of the book you wouldn’t expect anything else.

So how did I feel? It’s really an adventure; an adventure into the lives of two completely different characters that are pretty much made for each other but are struggling with 10385839959 other things it becomes a big ole mess. I book brilliant to pick apart and devour but definitely not easy.

Ps. This quote probably sums up my review in one line; “Man or Mango is a joy to read for anyone wanting to go a step beyond the obvious.”

Linnnnks

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The Art of Being Brilliant by Andy Cope & Andy Whittaker

November 23, 2016November 23, 20161 Comment

Do you ever get the feeling you’ve been gone for a lot longer than you thought you were. Well I do, sorry every one for being a little haphazard recently. I’ve written a lot of posts about why I’ve been away but basically I’ve been busy. REALLY BUSY. When you live with lots of people in shared housing there’s always another job to do but it kinda feels okay to leave it to the next person? When you live in a household of two it’s a little more difficult. Risk pissing off the person you’ve moved in with (sorry T) or get your act together. Then I felt out of my blogging habit and then I did something crazy – I joined a gym and that has been taking up a little more time than I thought. Turns out I really enjoy the gym. But that’s something for another day. For now a brilliant book on how to be, well, brilliant.

We all have good days and bad days. Some days we’re on form, others we can’t really be bothered and feel a little lack lustre. No one enjoys those slump days – so let’s do away with them! The wonderful, uplifting and funny authors of the bestselling The Art of Being Brilliant are here to show us how to get motivated, get positive and get happy, and, most importantly, how to be all three consistently. Every single day. Using a solid understanding of positive psychology, but with clear visual illustrations, simple explanations and a bit of funny stuff, Be Brilliant Everyday shows us how to foster some serious positivity and mental agility and transform our lives. The book is crammed with practical tips to help us ditch those down days and flourish every single day.

How to live and breathe positivity everyday

Learn to be truly happy, confident and more effective

Become a great example to others and inspire those around you

How to cope and feel brilliant in a busy, demanding world

This book is a well-constructed self-help book, centrered around the idea that we can get ourselves back on a positive track and the ways that we can help ourselves, mainly by looking at things in a different way. I want to say – this is definitely one of those books that is love it or hate it and would say, it’s for those that KNOW that the troubles lie with their habits or ways that they look at things. I feel like this book definitely doesn’t take into account mental health/depression and I think if I had read this book with that in mind I could have been a little offended.

The idea revolves around us being lazy to change due to a lack of effort, allowing ourselves to be stressed or distracted by our mobile phones when we should be looking at how we see ourselves. Quite clichéd things but things I haven’t really ever thought about too deeply.

Last week I was in a horrendous mood because of the rain. Sounds stupid, but I don’t own a coat with a hood, I recently found out there are problems with my tax from my last job, I lost my purse a few days before and I was RAGING. I stomped home, threw my gym stuff on and raced down to the gym in a horrid mood. As soon as I got there I managed to drop my phone onto the metal rail of the cross-trainer and it smashed horrifically. What I could or should have done is really thought

1) I have sorted the tax thing – at least initially

2) I have heard from the person who has my purse I should be able to get it back

3) I will eventually have enough money to buy a coat with a hood and I should have done MONTHS AGO.

If I had done this maybe I wouldn’t have had a mini argument with T (who has been incredibly supportive through it all) and maybe I wouldn’t have smashed my phone to crap. I mean I might have done but at least I wouldn’t have felt so horrendous due to me being a mood hooverer (someone who is almost looking for things to be angry about – ie the rain.) Looking at things as if nothing, nothing at all would make it better.

The book revolves around this throughout, is backed up by quotes from other self-help motivators and experts and for me it has a brilliant message in addressing negative self-talk. I realise I’m massively going on in this review but it’s my first one back so shrugs. It does have a slightly condescending tone or at least moves towards it. For me it just stopped before pissing me off but the stick men drawings and some of the jokey language was beginning to grate.

I think if you’re looking to make little changes in your life and want a book that maybe makes you look at somethings you’re doing differently once in a while this is a lovely little book to pick up. It would also work wonderfully as a stocking present filler! (If you’re thinking about Christmas already.) Gah I’m going to wrap this up here because I HAVE GONE ON A LOT. I enjoyed it but I think there are lots out there that take a deeper look at psychology and self-help. This was book to start me on a journey of self love that I hope to continue.

LIIIINKS

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A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

October 12, 2016September 28, 20162 Comments

Hellllo readers, going to whack a trigger warning in right here. This book details the abusive relationships throughout David Pelzer’s childhood. Just to be safe. I read this book back when I was at school, but recently when I was packing all my stuff to move (more on this soon) I found the third in the series and thought it might be nice to do a series of reviews – so the first is today! Enjoy (if that’s the right word?!)

A harrowing, yet inspiring true story of a young boy’s abusive childhood, from internationally bestselling author Dave Pelzer.

Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother – a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games. She no longer considered Dave a son, but a slave; no longer a boy, but an ‘it’.

His bed was an old army cot in the basement, his clothes were torn and unwashed, and when he was allowed the luxury of food it was scraps from the dog’s bowl. The outside world knew nothing of the nightmare played out behind closed doors. But throughout Dave kept alive dreams of finding a family to love him. This book covers the early years of his life and is an affecting and inspirational book of the horrors of child abuse and the steadfast determination of one child to survive.

A Child Called It by [Pelzer, Dave]

A Child Called It written by Dave Pelzer shows the very darkest corners of child abuse, allowing readers a viewing into the terrifying life of a young boy cut off from society whilst being secretly continually abused by his alcoholic mother. Pelzer who lived through a very difficult and unstable life in a town in California during the 70’s explains his tortuous years as a young child. Struggling to survive starvation, cuts, bruises and worse Dave kept himself alive by dreaming of a new family – one that would love and support him.

Throughout the book Dave tells of events where his Mother locked him in bathrooms filled with cleaning chemicals leaving him no option but inhale the poisonous fumes. Making him sleep in the basement with very little to sleep on, stabbing him and refusing to take him to hospital, eventually David’s mum refused to call him David and instead called him “it” – he really was nothing to her.

I found the book a really upsetting and a really terrible read emotionally – the problem was however that it was a little poorly written.. It is very repetitive and at times the structure is very sequenced. Almost like a shopping list – “she did this, and then she said this, I starved, but that didn’t matter she then did this.” The sentences are very short and to the point and Pelzer basically states what happens rather than describing it to us and it does purely revolve around the punishments, Dave and his mother. There are no subplots to distract or to lessen the blows – to a point I understand this but it does create a very samey, monotonous tale. (Although utterly devastating also.)

Since I read the book there’s been a lot of confusion around the improbability of David’s statements. When I read the book I was quite young and so I just kind of read and absorbed it all but recently a few things have come to light.

The father and the brother towards the beginning of the book seem to sympathise with Dave but later during the book they turn and treat him also like a slave.

Many have commented on Dave’s ability to survive the attacks that are described – inhaling bleach, having his arm burnt on a stove, stabbed in the stomach and strangled are only a few of the terrifying attacks that are described. I don’t know about this one the next point also goes against this.

Many articles have been written that dispute the claims and state quotes from the family who said Dave was a difficult child but many of the events were over-exaggerated.

So what did I think? I definitely enjoyed (if that’s the right word) this book, but I think there are wobbles there. It definitely opened my eyes to a different type of reading experience and genre and I did end up reading all three in the series. Have you read any of the books? Do you have any thoughts please let me know and I’ll review the second in the series soon!

LINNNNNKS

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The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

October 5, 2016September 26, 20161 Comment

Hellllllo readers, what do we think of the new fancy opening to the blog post? I’ve decided that instead of using my stereotypical ‘A review from My Little Book Blog,’ I’m going to make an image for every single review – cause ya know why not. Also interestingly I’ve actually got a couple of book box subscription reviews coming up so look forward to them – for now, LE REVIEW.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock.

Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don’s Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

Image result for the rosie project goodreads

Let’s try and ignore allll of the reviews that say this is a novel about Sheldon Cooper trying to Find a Wife – it kind of is, but it also isn’t. Don Till man is a genetics professor in his late thirties who wants to find a spouse by creating a very in-depth questionnaire. See, Don leads a very fussy life and throughout the story there are allusions that Don has Aspergers. However, Rosie becomes part of his life and she completely goes across everything in Don’s list of attributes; but a beautiful friendship (kind of) blossoms.

Don and Rosie are fantastic characters – Don’s constant flow of thought processes, and a need to keep his life constant is a continually contrasted with Rosie’s slightly outlandish and unbalanced way of life. Don’s need for example to eat the same thing each night (to minimise waste and time) the time he gets refused from a club despite it being a very expensive, waterproof model and generally messing things up in social situations is delightfully wonderful to read and equally interesting.

The storyline revolves around Don’s wife project (which 250000% does not include Rosie,) and Rosie’s father project which revolves around her need to find her biological father and deal with the stress of her relationship with her adopted father. Throughout both learn a lot about the other and how the other interacts and lives. A particularly special moment is when they travel together to New York; their two personalities together in a new place creates a beautiful section of storytelling.

In terms of genre this is really a romantic comedy and I think if you are fan of either the romantic or comedy style genre you will enjoy this. The writing throughout the book is really clever, the pace moves quickly and will pace but still manages to squeeze in numerous story-lines and supporting characters. The author has created really brilliant contrasts between each of the character’s ways of speaking which really adds to the dialogue of the book. I also loved how the author included a number of social gaffes, but Don is incredibly resilient and almost practical in them. He understands his strengths, his memory, his ability to being smart and dedicated; for example…

Overall this was a really lovely tale, that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t comment to throughly on the use of Aspergus because I just don’t have enough knowledge and I know there has been a little upset about how it’s portrayed. Overall I thought this was a fantastic book full of love romance and comedy and I can’t wait to read the second.

LINNNNNNKKKKS

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Melody’s Key by Dallas Coryell

September 28, 2016September 28, 20161 Comment

Helllllo readers, hope you’re well! Another day another review. I’ve been really enjoying this slightly more relaxed schedule. It’s felt a lot more helpful for encouraging creativity and I’ve adored reading lots more books from lots more genre’s and I have a lovely YA book for you today.

“His eyes settled on her…piercing green embers of flame that revealed the ferocity of his pain and passion, yet still shrouded him under veils of ever deepening mystery that made every ounce of her ache to unravel him.”

Tegan Lockwood’s dreams were dead, sacrificed on the noble altar of duty before they ever had a chance to live. Her entire existence was disappearing into the abyss of apathy as she labored her days away keeping her family’s struggling business alive. There would be no emotion, no color, no beauty in her life. That is, until a mysterious visitor begins to draw her out of the darkness of her past towards something that will challenge the boundaries of her world, and unlock the most deeply held secrets of her heart.

The first thing to mention is I was sent this book really nicely by the author. The story follows the life of Tegan Lockwook who is a very talented and also beautiful young girl who helps with the family business – Lockwood Holiday. Tegan is not only a talented painter but she also loves to compose and write songs and due to this she is accepted into a college in New York. Through her families financial struggles Tegan must stay with them, and put her dreams on hold. However, one summer her life is about to change forever, when American pop star Mason Keane comes to the estate, everything might be turned entirely on its head.

This is a very fun summer romance and to be honest with you I really enjoyed it. It has a romance, it has a number of really likable an well fleshed out characters and it doesn’t follow the typical girl changes bad boy. I loved the fact that Mason is really presented as a ‘good guy.’ Mason does have struggles, he’s not perfect but the author really makes this clear at the beginning. I also adored tha the author wrote all of the songs in the book – it’s a lovely addition.

Delving into a problem I do tend to have with YA fiction, the character development throughout the book was JUST FANTASTIC. Tegan and Mason are constantly changing as individuals from the very beginning to the very end, learning not only about each other but learning about their own personalities too and the relationship DOESN’T HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT. I adored the fact that they built a friendship which leads to love – I won’t spoil the plot because that’s unfair but I really thought that this was a beautifully built relationship.

This is a really tough book to review because there’s so much going on and I don’t want to spoil any of the special bits – however I loved that the plot was full of surprises. Throughout the new story there are also glimpses into the older love story (#NOSPOILERS.) There are letters from a forbidden love that takes part during WW1 and they are mixed in with the romance of the modern world. I can’t like I wish there was more into the past love story, but that could be the historical fiction lover in me.

I think the only thing that did kind of test me was the kind of languid quite overly done descriptions. Not only did they come across a little dramatic and full of teenage angst (which is okay in small doses,) but it did make the writing a little stodgy. Through the middle of the book it does slow the pace of the book down and it does become a little slow. There are also a long of cliche’s with I’m not a big fan of (piercing eyes etc,) but I think than Dallas has written this book for the lovey-dovey one’s of us. It does have some intense descriptions, and for some readers that’a a good thing – for me a little overwhelming especially towards the end.

So, what did I think in the end. I thought that the story was really special, I thought the characters were brilliantly written, the romance was built throughout and actually happened throughout the story rather than just smushed together. I did struggle a little with the overly cliched and heavy description of the love story – it just felt a little bit over done. But if you really love a romance, with a bit of mystery, pick up a copy today.

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1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

September 21, 2016September 9, 20162 Comments

Hellllllo – TODAY IS THE DAY. I’m going to try and attempt to review 1Q84 and I’m a little bit worried about it because it’s such a MASSIVE book to review in one go. I’ll get straight in because there’s so much to squish in but enjoy. Or try.

(ALSO THERE WILL BE SPOILERS I’M SORRRRRYY!!)

The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s — 1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.

I’m a little bit scared to review this book because I know that T loved it so much and I just struggled with it. It took me almost a year to read and on reading the last 50-ish pages I knew that it wasn’t going to give me the ending I needed. The book started out fantastic, the characters are exciting, the writing style is beautiful. I adored snuggling down and engrossing myself in the depths of Murakami and his writing.

The first part of the story is very plot-driven and exciting. The lead characters are really exciting. Aomame is a really unique character – she’s almost a sim-like character with her lack of emotion and how different she is from Tengo who is this blissfully aware character who is struggling with so many different emotions, events and this constant connection to Aomame. Murakami seems to deal with a number of interesting social issues specifically about the misogyny of Japanese society. The struggle for job advancement and destructive and abusive marriages.

Murakami has such a way with words that allows you to become a part of the story. Even Tengo cooking allows you to see the depth of Murakami’s writing for example.

“Tengo chopped a lot of ginger to a fine consistency. Then he sliced some celery and mushrooms into nice-sized pieces. The Chinese parsley, too, he chopped up finely. He peeled the shrimp and washed them at the sink. Spreading a paper towel, he laid the shrimp out in neat rows, like troops in formation.”

It is like this the entire way through and as we met more and more characters I found myself more and more engrossed in the world that Murakami was creating.

(SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER)

However suddenly the book climaxes to an utterly confusing ending. Aoname turns from this avenger, calculating character becomes a character that is bearing a child waiting endlessly for Tengo who kind of meanders around. The plot is doing nothing also – we’re introduced to the Little People, the crysallis, we’re in the middle of the BUILD UP and then it just kind of gets disregarded. Everything is okay, nothing really FRICKEN happens. What happened, what was the point. WHY GOD WHY?! The first half sets up so many mysteries and less than half of them are explored at all!

So, my thoughts – I know this review is pretty short even though the book is hella long. I think that I could really adore Murakami because I thought the writing of his book was honestly beautiful. I really found myself completely sucked into the writing the style and I think if it was a little shorter I might have enjoyed hella more. I think because I spent so long in the story to have everything pulled away from me just made me angry. I read a couple of reviews that tried to convince me that the author is trying to turn the tale back on the reader – erm no. No it’s just silly. If you haven’t read 1Q84 I would recommend Murakami for the style but I couldn’t really recommend this tome of a read. It left me a little cold.

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