Neighbours & Friends

[Rosie]

I've seen the film of the Bone Collector - didn't realise it was based on a book. Might take a look.

[Emma]

You must read the Bone Collector if you have time Rosie, there's so much missing from the film, but isn't that how it always goes. Without looking them up I think there is about 9 books based on Lincoln Rhymme. The one that really sticks in my mind is The Vanished Man, think it's book 4 and I can't really describe it without sounding like I havn't read it! But what I do wonder is, how does he write a book a year average? maybe two? with the research that must go into them, there's just so much information, lots of little tit-bits, it amazes me what he packs into the books.

I've also read another Jeffrey book recently that I picked up from ASDA for a pound, Dancing Dol, introducing Catherine Dance as main character, and there is a scene in the book where she has to ring Rhymme and Sachs for some information. I do like it when books are linked like that!

[Jojo]

Just read a brilliant book by Kate Morton - she is a really good writer.

Up there with Persuasion in my favourite books is The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton which I read some time ago but this one I've just finished, The House at Riverton, was a surprise. I read the back of it and didn't much like the sound of it but decided to give it a go anyway on the strength of the other book and soon found I was hooked into the story.

It jumps from the story of a young housemaid/ladiesmaid in 1914-24 to the same person as an old lady in 1999. The ending is tragic but softened somehow by knowing that she lived a long life after the events of 1924. There are some good twists and surprises too.

[Marie]

Due to the hot weather and the World Cup of Football, I had plenty of time to read. I've just finished 6 books within apr. 3 weeks time !

I just want to tell you about the most recent one I read. I bought it quite randomly last year in London (I usually do) before returning home. That way I always have "something to read" when I've finished my library books.
(BTW : it takes me some time these days to find the books I like and haven't read yet in our local library ! )

This one was called "The Return" and it's written by Victoria Hislop.
(and yes it is in English !).

Quite coincidentally two friends go to Spain, Granada, in order to have some dancing-lessons and to celebrate one friends' birthday.
While strolling through the (lovely) city, Sonia finds a bar in a square, which she enters and she drinks coffee there. On the bar's walls she sees many posters for bullfights and photos of a girl in flamenco-dress.
That's how the story starts...

After some days she has to return home again. Her friend has decided to give "everything" up and move to Granada, asking Sonia to visit her as soon as she can.
Sonia is very surprised when one day she visits her dad and finds out that he and her mum used to dance quite a lot "in their time" and won quite some competitions. He shows her photos of her mum (who sadly has already passed away, having suffered from multiple sclerosis), that look familiar to her and when she decides to go to Granada again, she takes some of them with her.

Meanwhile though, she finds that her marriage is not exactly what she had hoped it would be and her husband turns out to be drinking more and more, all the while wanting to have a child anyway, which she hasn't wanted yet so far. (Oh yes, they break up !)

In Granada, she meets the bar-owner again and she asks him about the photos on the wall. She doesn't show him her photos yet.
He starts telling her about the beautiful Mercedes (a common name in Spain !) and her dancing. The story begins in 1931 and is about the Ramírez family.
Throughout his story we learn just about everything there is to know about the Spanish Civil War.

The end is really touching, but I can't tell you more, because I'd give everything away.

This is the second novel by Victoria Hislop and while I was reading it I wanted to see her first one as well. I was so lucky to find it in the library yesterday (in dutch this time !). It's called "The Island" and apparently it's as good as this one.

So, if anyone out there wants a lovely, touching read : "The Return" by Victoria Hislop. Keep the tissues nearby though !

[Aud]

I must read this Marie, I'm a sucker for a spanish themed romance. Thanks for the review.

[Marie]

While I'm at it, I'd like to tell you about another, very touching book, that I read last month. It isn't a recent one, I just stumbled upon it in the library and took it with me, finding out later that my son had it in English ! (A pity, I think it would have made it a better reading...)

It's "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks.

It tells us a story of a young man, sent to France by his employer to "study" the textile industry over there. He's sent over because he speaks French fluently.
He is staying with a french textile-branch-working family. The atmosphere in the house isn't very joyful and he falls in love with the lady of the house !
Eventually they are being forced to leave the house by her husband and they try to make a living, but one given moment, she returns to her family (but we only get to know that much later).

We find the man back in France during WWI and we learn a lot about the goings-on in the north of France, a region which he knows very well.
It takes us through almost all of WWI and it is very touching.
We learn about living in the trenches and about digging tunnels for landmines and tactics in general. It's not always "nice" to read.

Years and years later, the man's granddaughter wants to know something more about her background and questions her mum about it. She finds papers in the attic from her granddad and can reconstruct the family's history and what her granddad had gone through.

It's very well written, but of course, as it is about a war, it isn't a very joyful book. It's very hard at times, but I think it's quite realistic.

(The book has been published in 1993.)

Worth a read !

[Rosie]

Has anyone read the Steig Larsson books, e.g. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? I saw the film of this recently, and I enjoyed it very much (watch the subtitled version rather than the dubbed one - much better) and I'm curious about the books.

[Marie]

Not me, maybe I should say "yet". I'd like to try one though, I'll keep you posted if I manage to read one, Rosie.