Neighbours & Friends

[Rosie]

Read a good book lately?  Then tell us about it here.  Or maybe there's a book that you thought was so bad that we should avoid it at all costs?  We'd still like to know about it.  And if you like, give the book a score out of 10.  You might also like to let us know how much it costs (or where it can be obtained particularly cheaply) and if it's a bit specialist, where we can buy it.

[Emma]

Here I go again!! As I told you all a few days back, I recently read The Silence Of The Lambs. Since that review, i've now read Hannibal, the sequal. Most of you will have proberly watched the films and not given the books a second thought! The good things about reading books after watching the films is, you can visualise each character! Of course I had Anthony Hopkins in my head when I read Hannible Lecter parts and Jodie Foster when I read Clarice Starling parts, etc. There was only a few differences between Silence film and the book, very small ones such as "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti" The actual sentence in the book is "I ate his liver with some fave beans and a nice amarone". Obviously the writers thought chianti sounded better than amarone! (both of which are italian wines).

Hannibal was excellent but there was alot of difference. The film was similar to the book, I recognised alot of film, but places were different and there was more people involved. The ending is a mind blower! in the film, the Dr gets away again, but in the book, well, I don't really want to give it away!! I sat there reading thinking nooo, nooo, NOOOOOOOOOO! how could you!!! I just couldn't believe the final outcome!!

Both books are written by Thomas Harris. There is a prequel to Silence, called Red Dragon. It has already been made into a film but I would very much like to read that one aswell.

I give both books a rateing of 10!

I've found, the best place to buy books are at carboots. I bought both the above books for 40p. And they are both in very good nick! and if you dont like what you've bought, you havn't lost anything really! you can always flog the books on Amazon.

[Rosie]

I loved the Hannibal Lector series - a lot of people didn't like the book of Hannibal but I thought it was great - especially the ending.

As for Red Dragon - that was great too.  If you're interested in seeing the film, I'd recommend the original version, called Manhunter, directed by Michael Mann (who did Collateral).  Lector is played by Brian Cox rather than Anthony Hopkins, but it's a much better film than the Red Dragon remake done a few years ago - but only if you can handle bad 80's hair...

[Emma]

At the same carboot I bought The Green Mile series and Cujo. Both books were written by Stephen King. The Green Mile was a series he was talked into writeing, he'd never done it before and decided to try it! I've never been a fan of Stephen Kings books, but I wanted to see how close Mile was to the film so I thought i'd try them. The film I think, really did the books justice. Right from beginning to end it was almost spot on, except for - a worker at Paul Edgecombe's nursing home wasn't in the film, and in the book Paul was writeing the book (if your with me) in the film, he was telling his lady friend his story. Both very small and unimportant things really, but yes the books were brilliant and yes I cried my head off when John was put to the chair.

The second book Cujo, was once mentioned in Friends my Joey and Rachel and ever since then i've wondered what it's about, so when I saw it for 25p, I thought, why not!!! It is rather good! One moan i'll have about Stephen King is the fact that he rambles and sometimes bores you a bit. For instance, he used 3 or 4 pages detailing the commercials thought up by the two guys (can't remember names) for their business Ad Worx. By the time the chapter finished I was bored and had no idea what i'd just read! when I skimmed back I thought, And?? The story was good and the description of the demise of the doggy was good. It made you feel kind of sorry for him really, but, I think i'll google rabies and see if it really happens like that!!

The Green Mile gets a score of 10 but Cujo only gets a score of 6, sorry!

I picked both books up at the carboot for 50p. So thats less than a quid for 4 good condition books!

[Emma]

I've just looked rabies up on google and it says - "In the stage of excitement the animal may bite vigorously and viciously at anything: sticks, stones, grass, other animals and humans, without provocation". I think Cujo was exagerated a bit!!

[Emma]

Yay! I went to a book stall yesterday on the market and for 13quid I bought, Red Dragon, and books 2,3,4,5 of the Cutler Saga, Virginia Andrews. Three of the books were hardback and in mint condition! As soon as i've read them, i'll put the reviews up!

[Emma]

Dollanganger saga written by Virginia Andrews.

The books are better known as the Flowers in the Attic saga. There are 5 books all together:

The Garden Of Shadows (prequel)
Flowers In the attic (the 'first' book)
Petals on the wind (1st sequel)
If There Be Thorns (2nd sequel)
Seeds Of Yesterday (3rd sequel)

Flowers In The Attic was based on a tragic true story. The book is about 4 children (Christopher, Catherine, and twins Cory and Carrie) who are locked away in an attic by their mother and grandmother. This is done in order for their mother to gain her inheritance from her father who disowned her some years before. Apparently, her father is on his death bed and doesn't know about her children. She tells the children they only need to be locked away until he has died.....

Petals On The Wind goes on to tell you what happens to the children once they are free. A kind doctor rescues them and makes the children his 'wards'. There are many highs and lows in this book. But, for Catherine, only revenge will satisfy her.

If There Be Thorns is a story book written by Catherines sons. It is about two young boys. The eldest, Jory, is following in his mama's footsteps. He wants to be the prima ballerina that his mama almost was. But Bart is a very troubled little boy and spends most of his time living in a dream world. He wants to grow up to be just like his grandfather.

Seeds of Yesterday is truly the saddest book I have ever read. The last chapter and epilogue are completely heart wrenching and left me upset for hours afterwards. Catherine's children are grown up. Jory married his childhood sweetheart, Melody. Bart on the other hand is 'power mad'. He wants to be the richest man alive and he doesn't seem to care how he gets it. Only tragedy can change his ways.

The Garden of Shadows is written by the grandmother. This book will leave you thinking, "Now I get it!!!" There is a huge twist and then you begin to understand why there are problems between her daughter and husband. This book is designed to be read last. You're not meant to know the twist until the very end.

These books are fantastic and they will remain in my collection for as long as my constant reading of them will allow! You can buy these books new or second hand from www.amazon.com.

These books do contain sexual references.

[Kingharold]

Ham On Rye-Charles Bukowski

Bukowski was arguably one of the America's greatest novellists.His books are harrowing,humourous and always painfully honest.In short,they are human.

'Ham On Rye' is a semi autobiographical novel charting the disenfranchised adolescence of Henry Chinaski, from teenage boils to his ascent to the rank of professional alcoholic.

All this interspersed with the painful admission that he'll, 'never get laid with these boils' and the uplifting defiance and eventual conquering of his brutish,violent father.

Chinaski is Holden Caulfied with big fists and a lot of whiskey.

If you like lucid,fluid writing about real life,'Ham On Rye' is a 'must read'.

[Barney]

The Magician’s House by William Corlett: Pub: Red Fox

This is a series of four books about three children, William, Mary and Alice, and the time they spend at Golden House, in the Welsh Borders in their school holidays.

The Steps up the Chimney covers their first visit, at Christmas. They discover that the house once belonged to the Magician, Stephen Tyler, and become involved in a battle to save the baby.

The Door in the Tree is set at Easter, and involves the children in the fight against badger baiting.

The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall, set in the summer holidays, takes the children even deeper into protecting the future of Golden Valley, as property developers try to take over the land to build a Leisure Resort and Adventure Park.

The Bridge in the Clouds is the final book, set at Autumn half term, and it brings t a climax the battle between the good and evil forces at work in Golden Valley.

Magician is perhaps the wrong word, as Stephen Tyler is an alchemist. Although there is magic at work throughout the books, the real theme is about the battle between good and evil, the pitting of the children’s wits and the sharpening of their awareness of the world around them and the discovery of who they are, and who they can become.

This is not the magical world of Harry Potter, but a magical world to which anyone, child or adult, can relate, from which they can learn, and above all, which they can enjoy.

[Marie]

The Blind Man from Seville. Robert Wilson.

Genre : psychological thriller.

Seville is a wonderful and historical city, home-port of bullfighters, flamenco-music and oranges and the scenery of this briljant, intelligent and moving thriller.

During the Semana Santa (Holy Week) the week before Easter, with  a lot of processions, Raúl Jiménez is found dead.  The tormented body of the renowned restaurant-owner is tied up to a chair and has a gag in his mouth.  His eyelids have been removed with a dissecting-knife.  His murderer forced him to watch television pictures that way.  No signs of a burglary are found in the appartment.
This horrible sight fills Inspector Javier Falcón, the outwardly imperturbable chief (jefe) of the murder squad of the police, with inexplicable fear.  On the wall behind the dead body pictures have been put up, amongst which also one with Falcóns recently deceased father, the famous painter Francisco.  The investigation of the turbulent life of the victim soon becomes very delicate and urgent when more well-known Sevillians become a prey of the brutish murderer.
At the same time it becomes ruthlessly clear that Falcón hasn't been able to put his recent divorce behind him.  And he is painfully surprised by the frank diaries of his father.  Falcón realises gradually that this isn't simply a battue to an all-seeing murderer, but also a search for the grey part of his own past.  In fact, he is the blind man from Seville.

Robert Wilson
Former winner of the prestigious Gold Dagger Award, once again carries the reader away in a novel that combines the tensions of a psychological thriller with the emotional intensity of a literary feat of strength.


My thoughts about the book :
I read this book while being on a holiday not so far from Seville, so I was really caught up in it.  I also know the city quite well, so I could relate to several places and happenings.
Although the description of the murder(s) is quite horrible, I kept on reading, wanting to know what / who was behind them…
Falcón's father's diaries show a good picture of the man and his life.  

It turned out to be a real page-turner and I kept asking myself almost until the end "who dunnit ?"  There are several suspects and the murderer really plays a game of cat and mouse with the Inspector.  

No need to say the outcome was a real surprise to me .  This book has been written so well, I'd recommend it to you.  

Parts of the book consist of summaries of Francisco Falcón's diaries.  Apparently the author started to write the book and when being about half-way, found out, he had forgotten the diaries, so he started to write those.  They are an important part of the book.

I think this really is a masterpiece in its genre !

BTW : when I looked on the internet for parts of the diaries the author wrote, but didn't use for the book (but they are quite interesting for the "spirit of the time"), I came upon a site with reviews, where an american woman wrote :
"This is a great book, but the Spanish words and expressions bother me, as they make the actual reading slower (which appears to be "deadly" for the continuity, according to the review) whereas the spanish "could easily be replaced by an american word or expression."
As an example she says : "el édificio del Presidente" is "the president's house", so why not write that ?

I'd like to add that "el édificio" means "the building" and in this case "del Presidente" has got nothing to do with the president himself, but it's the name of the building.  

But don't let that keep you from reading the book if you like that genre, because it's a very intriguing book, that won't let you off until it's finished !
The Spanish words and expressions are quite easy to understand.

[Jojo]

I have almost finished reading 'Gone with the Wind' by Margaret Mitchell. It is a massive book, the paperback version I have from the local library has 1011 pages so it has taken me a while to read. :shock:

It gives a lot more detail than the film about things like Scarlett's motives and thoughts which really give you an insight to her. It is set against the Americal Civil War and if you like that sort of thing gives a lot of historical details of what went on and why.

Scarlett grew up on a plantation in Georgia and when the book starts she finds out that blue eyed, blond haired Ashley Wilkes who she has loved for some time is engaged to Melanie Hamilton and it is to be announced the next day at his birthday barbeque.  :-(

She is shaken but determines to make him jealous and help him see what a mistake he is making by being her most spirited, flirtatious and to tell him how she felt so he would see his error and elope with her...unfortunately life doesn't work that way, especially in Southern America, it is governed there by traditions and honour so when Scarlett has done her best and bares her soul to Ashley he cuts her down leaving her seething. After he has left the room she throws a pot across the room - waking Rhett Butler who had gone in there for a bit of peace and solitude! He is amused by her spirit and lack of gentility as he himself is a scoundrel and outcast so sees a similarity in her that attracts him.  

In a fit of spite she agrees to marry Charles Hamilton (who grew up with Melanie, her cousin, thus making her a relation by marriage to Ashley). The story goes on of how Charles is soon killed in the civil war and she goes with her new baby to live with Melanie and her aunt in Atlanta.

There is love, loss, drama, how the people cope (or don't cope) with the changes forced on them by the Yankees and how Scarlett battles through the tragedies and changes in her life trying to find security and happiness, ever loving Ashley and battling Rhett.

I personally find detailed descriptions annoying so tend to skimread them to get the gist of it and then get on with the story but it was quite educational reading the details of the Civil War and I feel glad I took the effort to read the book.  As far as scores out of 10 I guess I'd give it a 8.

In the library I saw a follow up book called 'Scarlett' (can't remember the author, but not Margaret Mitchell) which I'm going to read next - I'll let you know if it's any good too.

[Jojo]

The sequel to 'Gone with the wind' is 'Scarlett' by Alexandra Ripley (the Margaret Mitchell estate actually asked her to write it) and is another LONG book. I got a hardcover edition form my library and it is 759 pages long (so not as long as the original but remember my original was paperback...!).

The first few chapters are terribly sad and I cried through them as Scarlett goes from berevement to berevement and loss to loss. She went back to Tara at the beginning (the sad bit) and them back to Atlanta to find she was an outcast totally. She does her best to no avail and finally she decided to go to  Charleston where Rhett is staying with his mother. She first goes to stay with her Aunts but Rhett's mother wouldn't hear of her staying anywhere but with her so Scarlett is taken into Charleston society.

Rhett wasn't pleased to see her there and despite Scarlett's best efforts he would not be moved to reconciliation. So Scarlett leaves Charleston and goes to Savannah with her Aunts to visit her elderly Grandfather. While there she meets her o'Hara relatives and finds that although totally different from the society she was used to she liked them very much.

Scarlett takes an invertation to go to Ireland with her  relatives to meet her elderly Grandmother who she was named after. Everything changes for Scarlett and life starts looking hopeful again.

Can't tell you anymore, it would give it away!! The book was well written and flows seamlessly on from the original story. A bit long for me reading straight on from the other long book but out of 10 it would be a 8 again.

Spoiler:

A much more satisfying ending than the original - yes Scarlett does eventually get Rhett back!!

[Barney]

The Sunny Side.
Short stories and poems for proper grown-ups
AA Milne
Pub. Snowbooks 2005

The sub-title worried me, because I didn't think I was a proper grown-up, so should I be reading this book??? I read it anyway, and discovered that I was the right sort of 'grown-up' after all.

This is a collection of short stories and poems by the writer of Winnie-The-Pooh, first published in Punch magazine, then in book form in 1921.

As with any collection of short stories and poems, there will be one or two that stick with you, and one or two about which you may think, "What was that about?" But mostly, they are undemanding, relaxing, and have a certain cheering factor about them.

If you want something gentle, something that will make you smile, something slightly whimsical, then try this.

[Barney]

Storm Command:
a personal account of the Gulf War:
General Sir Peter de la Billiere:
Pub: Harper Collins 1992

T-A had this book from the library, and having read it, suggested I should. It is what it says: Sir Peter's personal account of the Gulf War. He says, "My account of the campaign is designed mainly for readers without a military background who may be interested in the way a large-scale military operation is managed."

It is much, much more than that. It explains the build up, the execution and the clearing up after the war, but it also shows the humanity of the man commanding the British forces, the way he cared for the troops in his command and their families, and the way in which he strove to work in harmony with all the leaders and commanders in the comflict - and how he succeeded.

It doesn't blow his own trumpet - he writes without appearing to realise the significance of what he has written on a personal level. It doesn't glorify war, either. It tells it as it is.

It took me a while to get going - the first 50 or so pages took me a few days, but then I got 'caught up' in it, and there were some things that didn't get done because I was so absorbed in his story.

I'm recommending this book to anyone who wants to know more about the Gulf War, about the great campaign, but also who wants it in an easily digestible form.

[Barney]

On Wings of Eagles:
Ken Follett (1983)
Pub: Pan Books

This is a factual account of how one man (Ross Perot*) refused to give up on two of his employees who were wrongfully held in jail in Tehran at the time of the Iranian revolution in 1978 / 79.

That may have put you off, but it shouldn't. Dry facts there aren't! Ken Follett writes in short sentences that keep the pace moving and he covers a lot of ground - and by half way through, you won't be able to put it down. This is a true-life adventure story at its best, and it had me hooked.

---

*The name should ring a bell if you follow the American Presidential elections. He stood for Presidency in 1992 and 1996.

Here's a link about the man, but if you don't want the outcome of the book before reading it, don't go there.