Things I Know About Love

Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann
Egmont, 2010
Originally Published 2006
153 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

I'll admit that I picked this up because of its short length and the fact that the author is British and thus it counts toward a challenge.  I thought it would be a light read but there was a bit more depth to it that the short length belies.  I also find myself unable to discuss this without SPOILERS so be forewarned.

Livia is on a process to reclaim her life after getting a clean bill of health following her bout with leukemia.  As part of this, she travels to America to visit her beloved older brother who is studying abroad at Princeton.  She plans to blog about her experiences, especially about the fling she hopes to have.

Except instead of a casual fling, she falls for Adam, a fellow Brit and friend of her brother's.  They both fall quickly and hard.  In some of my favorite sections, Adam reveals that he started up his own blog, which mostly details how much he likes Livia.  Overall the tone was very lighthearted and funny; I was so enjoying it.

Until...Livia gets sick and dies. Yes, you read that right! I was completely blindsided because there was not much lead-up and I was not expecting it at all.  Adam is as flummoxed and the conclusion is him desperately trying to hold onto his memories of her and reflecting on what he knows about love.  Despite the suddenness, I still was teary-eyed and I would probably still recommend it to certain people.

Read for British Book Challenge.

Cat Among the Pigeons

Cat Among the Pigeons by Julia Golding
Roaring Brook Press, 2006
362 pages
YA; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

I didn't mention this but just like the first book, the first pages of this book share hilarious blurbs from such distinguished personages as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Beethoven.

Sequel to The Diamond of Drury Lane, where we are introduced to Cat Royal, Pedro Hawkins, and her assorted friends, acquaintances, and enemies in and around the theater.

I think I actually liked this even more than the first book as the personalities were already established so we got to dive right in to the story, which revolves around a very important historical event: the battle for abolition of slavery across Great Britain and its territories.  Per my research, slavery was abolished in England itself in 1772 but it was not until 1833 that is was abolished across Great Britain and its colonies.  Consequently it was a hot button issue.  Pedro had thought he had escaped his cruel master Hawkins but that man shows up here, determined to reclaim his property.  Although he cannot do so in England, once he sets sail for the West Indies, he can legally do as he wants.

Cat, of course, inserts herself fighting on behalf of Pedro and finds herself wanted, leading to a series of improbable disguises.  First she masquerades as a boy in Lord Francis's public school and then she hides out with Quakers, attempting to act as a prim and proper lady.  I loved those scenes of her disguise and Cat continued to be a charming narrator.

However I am somewhat uncomfortable with the role of Billy "Boil" Shepherd, whose twisted relationship with Cat becomes even more so. His behavior is really quite frightening, even if he does have some scruples.  He has also moved up in the world, gaining more areas under his control for his power and financial prosperity. SPOILER: I think I've read that they become a couple in later books and I'm wondering how Cat gets past his boorish behavior in this and the previous book. There must be a lot of development of his character. END SPOILER

Overall: Another enchanting diversion with Cat Royal; superior to the first book and with the promise of a Parisian trip amid revolution in the third.

Read for British Books Challenge.

William and Kate: Celebrating A Royal Engagement

William and Kate: Celebrating a Royal Engagement by Robin Nunn
Pavilion, 2010
144 pages
Non-fiction; Pictures
3/5 stars

Source: Library

Unlike the previous books I've read about the Royal Engagement, this book was originally more focused on Will until the realization of how important Kate is in his life.  Additionally this is more of a photo-essay book as large glossy pictures accompany the text.  Consequently the writing is much less in-depth and less important than the pictures.  There is no essay for the engagement photos other than the caption and date.

What is different is some "new" photographs of young William and his mother (I am not familiar with them, showing that they were not in the previous books I've read but they may be familiar to long-time royal watchers) and even some new ones of Kate.  There is also a brief chapter about modern royal marriages in Europe, with the examples of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Monaco, Spain, and Belgium, showing how commoner/royal marriages have been well-received in their countries and how they can serve as models.

I know it's been a month since the wedding itself but this was the first opportunity I had to schedule this book.  It's certainly worth at least a skim to see the pictures but the text does not really present anything new.

Cover: Her hair looks so good and the blue is such a gorgeous shade!

British Books Challenge

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
Viking, 2011
359 pages
Fiction
5/5 stars
Sixth in the Thursday Next series

Source: Won an ARC through firstreads.

Wow! This was such a delightful book.  While I was at first disappointed to discover that another Thursday book was coming (not because I don't like Thursday but because I'm dying for the second Shades of Grey book), I ended up adoring this book.

Here is a list of some of the awesome parts of it:
-A robot butler named Sprockett; I now desperately want one of my own
-An imminent genre war (between Racy Novel and WomFic)
-Worries about the rise of e-books and what that means for reading
-Quirky references to the giants of English literature
-Literary allusions and jokes that are aimed right at bookish people (aka me and you since you're reading a book blog)
-Multiple Thursday Nexts (really too many to count)

Now the basic plot of the book is contained in the title.  A Thursday Next is missing; sadly it is the real Thursday and thus the written Thursday has to step in to take her place and hunt her down.  She must do this while juggling a new understudy, a sadly little-read series, and those who want her dead.  Written Thursday also struggles with her desire for Landon, a character not in her books, and later the feeling that she might be the real Thursday.  She also has peace talks, a cheese smuggling ring, the ever present evil corporation Goliath, and various plots needing her attention.  Luckily she has the aid of my new favorite character Sprockett, the aforementioned butler and her own keen wits.

In order to solve the mystery, she visits many of the genres in BookWorld.  She of course lives in fantasy but ventures to Self-Published, Fan-Fiction, Crime (Conspiracy), Romance, and a bit of Comedy.  While the plot is frequently fantastical, it is also pretty easy to follow especially if you allow yourself to relax in the hands of a brilliant writer and are familiar with the other books.

Like all of the Thursday novels, this is a love letter to books set almost entirely in BookWorld and it is a delight from start to finish.  Highly recommended (although you should read the series in order).

A Passage to India

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
Harcourt, Inc, 1952
Originally Published 1924
362 pages
Classic; FITG
3.5/5

Source: Bought and read for class

Summary: Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore are British citizens, excited to journey to India and see the scenery.  A new friend of Mrs. Moore's, Dr. Aziz invites them to see the Marabar Caves where a most unfortunate incident occurs leading to a court case and aggravating relations between the British colonizers and the colonized Indians.

I was really excited about this but I was left unsatisfied.  I was expecting a tale of the clash of cultures as Anglo/Indian relations were explored and gender roles were examined.  And to a degree, I got that.  But the prose was not to my liking at all.  Forster's descriptions of the scenery were so boring (almost Tolkien-esque-the only way I got through LOTR was by skimming the endless scenery descriptions and focusing on the actual plot) and it was very slow-moving.  The incident described on the book-flap is Aziz being falsely accused of sexually molesting Adela; do you know when that happens? Nearly halfway through the book! Before that, there is plenty of description and a lot of set-up to establish the personalities of the characters and the relationship between the British and the Indians.

I didn't particularly like any of the characters either.  The four main characters are Brits Adela, Mrs. Moore, and college principal Fielding in addition to Indian doctor Aziz.  My inability to feel completely connected to any of them soured my opinion of this book.  I'm not sure if that was part of Forster's intention.  However this is an useful book for study of the time period.  Rising nationalism makes an appearance and is a topic I find fascinating.

Overall: I was really disappointed; have I missed something huge with regards to Forster? I'd love to give him another try-any recommendations?

Read for personal FITG challenge.

Kate

Kate Middleton: Princess in Waiting by Claudia Joseph
Avon, 2009
268 pages
Non-fiction; Royalty
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: A brief biography of Middleton's ancestors from the Victorian era to Kate's own life.

I really liked the concept of this book.  The first eleven chapters focus on Kate's ancestors, giving brief insight into the four main branches starting with the great-great-great-great grandparents and  even brief mentions of William's family especially to compare circumstances.  Those chapters were a little difficult as many names appear but they gave a brief peek at a particular time period and of people living under those conditions.

The rest of the book traces Kate's own life including the brief breakup and almost immediate reconciliation.  It really stressed the sacrifices Kate has made to be with William.  She looked for a low-key job so that she could be by his side at a moment's notice and support him at society events.  She's so patient and giving-I really do hope for the best for their marriage!

I hated the constant comparisons between the poverty of many of her ancestors and how Kate would be keeping much more rarefied company.  I also felt like Joseph thought that Kate and her family were social climbers.  The stress on Kate as a commoner when her family is worth millions and she went to private school seems bizarre to me over here in America. In my view, she's legitimately upper-class even if she doesn't have aristocratic blood, solely because of her financial situation-one of many differences between the US and the UK!

Read as part of the British Books Challenge.

Oliver Twist, Wrap-Up

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003
Originally published 1839
466 pages
Classic; FITG
4/5 stars

Source: Own

This ends the month readalong of Oliver Twist, hosted by Allie at A Literary Odyssey.  All of the threads introduced by Dickens are wrapped up and a very happy ending ensues.  Oliver discovers his family, Rose and Harry can marry, friendship abounds, bad is punished.  I do wonder if Oliver will get to meet children his own age; while the adults love him, it's not the same thing. Or is that idea a contemporary conception? I expect he'll be pretty happy just to be fed and loved rather than starved and driven through a life of crime.

Fagin, Sikes, and Dodger are all punished; the first two with death and the latter with transportation.  At least I think that's Dodger's fate.  It seems like that will be his ending but I didn't see it definitively stated (Did I skip over that part?)

The part I had been anticipating for the entire story was Nancy's death, the aftermath of which is particularly well-described.  Sikes sat all night in the same room as her dead body until the sun starts pouring in and he comes to with the realization of what he's done. I found the description fantastic and this was one part where I didn't mind that Dickens was so verbose.

In conclusion, I'm very glad for this push to read this classic novel.  I think it could definitely be recommended to Dickens newbies as it's very accessible, fairly fast-moving, and not filled with zillions of coincidences.

Post 1
Post 2

Read for FITG Challenge.

William's Princess

William's Princess by Robert Jobson
John Blake Publishing Ltd, 2006
254 pages
Non-fiction; Royalty
3.5/5 stars

Despite the title, the focus of this book is not so much Catherine Middleton and her relationship with Prince William as it is about the future of the monarchy in particular the rather unpopular Prince Charles and how Will and Kate's relationship will affect the monarchy.

While I was disappointed because I do want to learn about the future Princess William, I thought that the broader focus helped the book.  Instead of just giving a biography of their relationship (and this was published in 2006 so it misses a lot), the book examines Diana, Charles, and how Queen Elizabeth is slowly but surely cutting back on her engagements to give her self some breathing space as she ages and to help prepare for the transition to Charles.  Jobson writes continually of the unpopularity of Charles, especially in comparison to his mother and son.  I wonder if that is still the case now, five years later.  I suspect he is still less popular than them but that the division is not as extreme as it was.

I also enjoyed Jobson's intrusions in the story; unlike Nicholl's work, the entire book was framed that way and did not jar me whenever he appeared to explain his own involvement.  Occasionally he elucidates on the story he broke and emphasizes the credibility of his anonymous sources.  I am also pretty sure I've seen Jobson on television, which made him feel more familiar and endeared him to me.

Overall: Misleading title but solid writing.

Read for British Books Challenge.

William and Harry

William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls by Katie Nicholl
Weinstein Books, 2010
308 pages
British Books Challenge
3/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: An insider's look at Princes William and Harry as written by royal reporter for the Mail on Sunday Katie Nicholl.

I know I'm an American but I've been fascinated with the modern British royals, partly due to my mom's love of Diana and I'm so excited for the royal wedding which incidentally automatically dates this book.  When Nicholl's published it, the engagement had not yet been announced although she was fairly confident the wedding would take place in 2011 (side note: cannot wait to see the dress-Catheirne's so tall and pretty that she can wear almost anything).

But as to the book.  The beginning was good, providing information on the childhoods of the princes which may be familiar to some but not to me, given that I am a bit younger than they are.  In fact, I enjoyed the book up to about the time that they started acting out, partying and drinking all the time.  This was mostly because I find that behavior absolutely reprehensible.  They are part of the highest rank of privilege and they wasted it with their drunken parties; that was also the part that made me glad to be an American with a republic!

Another part I didn't like was the several chapters describing in detail Harry and William's military service.  I have no interest in that and it also raises another point about sources.  I recognize that Nicholl wants to protect her sources and that they want anonymity but how truthful are we to believe the sources are.  And frequently she writes about how the prince might be feeling which she has no power to do unless they, for some inexplicable reason, talked with her and shared exactly how they felt at the time.  Nicholl also inserted herself into several sections, talking about when she reported a story and that took me out of the story.

One little peeve was inconsistency in terms: she used feet and miles for distance but pounds for the money.  I would have preferred to see kilometers and pounds or feet/miles and dollars.  I think this book was written for an American audience so conversion of the pounds into dollars, even just in parentheses, would have been helpful.

Overall: Some interesting bits-perhaps check out of your library, like I did, and skim for new information.

Cover: I think this might be Buckingham Palace and of course the boys are cute, although I would prefer them smiling.  Probably these were the only ones authorized.

British Books Challenge 2011

Hosted by Becky at The Bookette.

I originally said I wasn't going to sign up for any challenges (excepting the E-Book Challenge because I have so many netgalley books and an e-reader is my number one wish for Christmas) but it's so hard so I'm signing up for another one!

So what is the British Books Challenge?
The BBC is a reading challenge where bloggers sign up to read books by British writers throughout 2011.

The books can be in print or out. Old or new titles. They can be from any genre and for any age. My blog is obviously focused on YA and children's literature but you are welcome to read adult novels if you wish.

There are two entry categories for the challenge:

Home Grown

This is for British bloggers who have access to many British books via their public libraries, fit-to-bursting bookshelves at home etc. The target is to read 12 novels. Thanks to The Story Siren for creating a formula with the Debut Author Challenge that really works - one British book a month should be easy peasy!

International Friend
For any wonderful bloggers living overseas who wish to support British writers.
You can choose to between:

Winston Churchill - Read 6 books by British authors in 2011

The Royal Family - Read 12 books by British authors in 2011

There will also be the chance to earn yourselves a Crown if you manage to read 50 books by British writers in the year.

As an American, I will be an "International Friend" and I'm going for the Royal Family although I would love to win a crown so I will try for 50 if I can.  Sidenote: who's excited for the wedding? I have already blocked out my calendar for that day and will be in front of the TV the whole time (no matter how early it starts since I'm on the West Coast and thus 8 hours behind.) 

 

Anyway I'm really excited for the challenge!

 

Preliminary List:

1. At least one book by Charles Dickens

2. At least 12 Agatha Christies (This overlaps with my personal challenge to read all of them)

3. Possession by AS Byatt

4. Passion by Jude Morgan

5. Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

6. Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart

7. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

8. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold by John le Carre

9. The Quiet American by Graham Greene

10. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare