The Summer of the Bear - Bella Pollen

It's 1979 and Nicky Fleming is a British diplomat in Germany. It's the cold war and so when he dies from falling from the roof everyone suspects him of defecting. Letitia takes her children away and moves back to the Hebridean Island she was brought up on. There she shuts down as she wonders how much did she really know her husband. Meanwhile her children have their own problems. Georgie is trying to hold the family together while she dreams of boys and her future away from the island. Alba is angry and takes that anger out on everyone around her, especially Jamie. Jamie believes that his father will come back to him. After all he promised. He spends his time wondering the island look for the bear that broke loose, believing it to be a sign from his father.

The book jacket describes it as a part suspense-thriller, part fairy-tale. The fairy-tale I can understand but for me there was very little suspense. The mother tries to uncover what happened to her husband. Did he really betray his country? There was very little of that until the end though and then the truth proved to be dull and disappointing. It was an aside almost until the discovered what had really happened.

The rest of the story though was extremely sweet. Jamie is a lovely character who sees the world in a very different way to the rest of the family. He's a sweet little boy who is waiting for his dad to come back because he promised he would. The author managed to write his parts with out making him so sweet he is irritating. Instead he is extremely lovable. Alba's character on the other hand was a little too hard to take. Children can be viscous. She is angry and to top it off she's going through puberty. A difficult time for anyone. She redeems herself in the end but I find it hard to believe that this girl was really that nasty. I think there were times when the author took it too far. In saying that she wasn't a completely unlikable character. Especially by the end of the book.

I loved the setting of the book. Island life in Scotland is fascinating. I think I would have liked it had there been more of that in there. I also felt that there was still unfinished business with some of the islanders at the end. I would have liked those loose threads to be brought together. I think it would have made the ending that much more satisfying.

If you are looking for a suspense book this isn't it. I can honestly say that it will only disappoint. If you are looking for a story of a broken family who are trying to pull themselves back together then this is it. It is a lovely story in that sense and once I reconciled myself to the fact that it wasn't going to be exciting I very much enjoyed it.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading!

This is a book meme by Sheila over at Book Journey. We all share what we have read and what we plan to read over the next week.

This week I read;
Garnethill by Denise Mina. A Glasgow based crime novel which I very much enjoyed.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell. An historical fiction novel. It went from being a book I was about to give up on to one of my favourites by this author. I read this as part of the Books I Should Have Read By Now Challenge.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. This was part of a Readalong and Books I Should Have Read By Now challenge. I can't recommend this book enough. I would say it's at the top of my favourites read this year.

Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen. This was for my book group. It was a sweet story.

I'm currently reading;
The Return Of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller. I have read a total of two pages so can't comment on it for now. A friend loaned it to me and it's been one that I've been wanting to read for a while.

Next I plan to read;
The Killing Kind by John Connolly. I have decided to have a week of just light reading. Love this series and I'm looking forward to this one.

What are you reading?

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts

Lin arrives in India on stolen passport having escaped from prison in Australia. He's not sure what to do next but is on the run and this passport will only get him so far. Straight off the bus in Bombay he meets Prabaker who guides him through the city. Lin quickly realises he loves India and doesn't want to leave. He finds some work for himself and discovers other sides of Bombay along the way. He falls in love, rescues prostitutes, lives in the slums, creates a free clinic, joins the mafia and so much more.

This book has been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for a couple of years. It's a fairly large book which doesn't normally daunt me but I think the fact that it wasn't the sort of book I would normally pick up delayed me reading it. I added it to my list of books to read in the Books I Should Have Read By Now challenge and I spotted a readalong for this title. Two signs that I should read it.

I am glad I did. The entire book is extremely descriptive. Normally that can be a negative but in this case I liked it. It was almost as if I was standing in the streets of Bombay with him. It also helped me to fall in love with characters such as Prabaker, his family and Johnny Cigar. Prabaker was probably my favourite character. I loved all his scenes. He seemed to have no concept of sarcasm and so would answer Lin as though he had asked a serious question. It made for some very funny moments and just endeared Prabaker all the more to me. One of my favourite moments was when he was living in the slum. Lin was in a bad mood as he hadn't had much sleep and Johnny Cigar woke him up early as there were patients waiting for him. He put the bad mood down to Lin's toilet issues which set off all his neighbours discussing how regularly Lin went.

I actually have lots of favourite moments and they all involve Prabaker or one of the others who lived in the slum. They seemed to have more to laugh about and I liked their philosophy on life. They were honest men who just wanted a happy life. I read in another review (I think it was a comment by Aths who is also taking part in the readalong) that the book was patronising at times. I can see where this view comes from. Although Lin loved living with Prabaker and his friends, enjoyed their company and saw them as friends I don't think he every really saw them as his equal. I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it was the tone he used when talking about them. It was almost like he saw himself as their saviour.

There were a lot of difficult moments too. It wasn't all lightness and fun. The cholera epidemic that hit the slums whilst Lin was living there was one. Although I don't think Lin saw himself as being in any real danger then. The real danger was when he was falsely imprisoned and had to fight his way to survive. Then of course his time in Afghanistan. He was in constant danger then. I think it was from those chapters that the tone of the book changed completely. It already had a little when he got out of prison and was learning the ways of the mob. But it truly changed then. The heart warming stories were few and far between. In fact there was only really one after Afghanistan and that once again involved Johnny Cigar.

The mob or mafia didn't interest me quite as much. I felt that Lin had doubts about the work he was doing. He knew it was wrong but even after he had paid off his debts for getting out of prison he didn't stop. It couldn't have bothered him that much. It was after that point we learned more about Karla, the woman he loved. She was a mysterious character from the start who had her own sad story.

The only negative thing I can say about the book itself is that I don't think Lin quite knew how he wanted to be portrayed. One minute he was the saviour and he wanted to be everyones friend. Accepted by everyone (which he just about was). On the other hand he wanted to be the hard man. There was a little of that before he joined the mob but it was more pronounced then. It somehow didn't quite sit well with the character because more times than not he was the good guy and the voice of reason.

If I was to talk about all the things I loved about this book I would honestly be here all day. It's one of those books that I'm not going to forget in a hurry. Although I eventually finished it earlier than the readalong planned it's still the longest time I have spent on a book. I am actually very glad for that. It gave me the chance to enjoy it in more detail before moving on to the next book.

Despite the size of the book it still felt that there was more packed into there than could possibly fit. Having finished it I came away surprised that it wasn't longer than it actually was. Believe me it was worth every page. I know the follow up is meant to be published this year. I'm not sure I will be able to hold off until the paperback as I want to know what happens to Lin next.

Oh, and one last thing. The book itself is meant to be semi -autobiographical. I know that Roberts did escape from prison, spent time in India before getting caught years later. He himself states that most of it is fiction. It would be interesting to know which of it is fact. Although according to wikipedia Prabaker was based on a real person.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet - David Mitchell

It's 1799 and Jacob De Zoet is a Clerk for the Dutch East India Company. Japan has opened is allowing the Dutch to trade with them and they even have their own settlement near Nagasaki. After centuries of a non outsider policy the Dutch are determined to take advantage of this. Jacob is sent there to help clean up the Dutch side of the trade and rid it of corruption. This proves to be a challenge to Jacob who wants to do the best job he can so he can go home and marry his love. Very quickly though, the mysterious Aibabagawa catches his eye and he becomes infatuated. Unlike the other women who have free entry into the Dutch area she is not to be touched. She is a midwife and is there to learn under the Dutch doctor. That doesn't stop Jacob from falling for her although he is little prepared for the results.

I have read two other books by David Mitchell and loved them both. Both books were extremely different in style and this one proved to be no different. An historical fiction novel set during a period when Japan was reluctant to allow outsiders to step foot on her land or influence her people. It's an area of history that I know very little about and it proved to be interesting. Having read a little behind the book I know that the author spent four years researching it. In fact he got the initial idea from his visit to the Dejima museum (Dejima was the name of the island that the Dutch had to keep to).

I have to be honest though. My initial reaction to the book wasn't a good one. I was excited about it originally for two reasons. It was written by an author that I was growing to like and it was set in Japan, a country I am fascinated with. As it seemed to be mainly from the point of view of the Dutch and their concerns with trade I thought it was going to turn out to be extremely boring. I had no interest in reading a book about that and was considering giving up on it not far in (which isn't like me). It quickly picked up though and I realised a lot of the start was necessary to get an idea of the characters who would have an important part to play later in the book.

The characters were fantastic. Every single one of them had their own story to tell. Including the few important Japanese characters. At some point in the book they were all able to tell their own story and I loved that fact. It made them more real and even gave me the chance to sympathise with characters I probably wouldn't have liked. Such as the British Captain in the third section of the book. It was a little difficult to want him to be defeated since he was a character I knew I would grow to like.

Even the women in the shrine that Aibagawa was sent to. It was a cult and they welcomed it. I wanted to dislike some of them for their cruelty and their naivety but I couldn't. I wanted Aibagawa to get away but not if it cost these women their lives. Basically I was made to go through the dilemmas the characters themselves faced. It made for an interesting read.

The one similarity this book has with his others is that it is separated into sections. He seems to like that writing style and has used it in different ways. For each book it has worked and this one proves no different. I particularly enjoyed the second section. Whilst more disturbing at times due to the descriptions of the shrine it was certainly the most interesting. Mainly because it was from the point of view of the Japanese.

Whilst I didn't like this book at the start by the end it has become my favourite by David Mitchell.

Garnethill - Denise Mina

Maureen is quite vulnerable. She's just starting to pull her life together after time spent in a mental hospital. Still haunted by the sexual abuse of her childhood and having to suffer through her families many problems. Much of which she is blamed for. So when she wakes up one morning to find her therapist boyfriend murdered she is hardly in a place to handle it. Determined to prove her innocence she starts her own investigation. She soon discovers that the real victims are others like herself who have little voice. Now she has to uncover who the murderer is for their sake as well as her own.

I met the author of this book a few years ago and she is a lovely and very intelligent lady. Although I wasn't a crime reader at the time it was always at the back of my mind to read this. Scottish authors are famous for writing crime and out of the handful I have read (all of which I have enjoyed) this one is the best. For a change it's from the point of view of a victim rather than one sole police man. It makes you feel that much more desperate for the truth to be revealed whilst reading. You have more of an emotional involvement.

Maureen was my favourite character at first but she grew on me quickly along with her best friend Leslie and her drug dealing brother. Whilst her brother is a drug dealer you love him for supporting Maureen in a family that refuses to believe her. The police come across as unhelpful at first but that soon changes and some of them stand out as characters too. It has great suspense. Even when you have worked out who the murderer is and that Maureen is trying to flush him out you aren't sure exactly what she is going to do.

I loved the fact that it was set in Glasgow and I was therefore able to recognise quite a few places. I always enjoy that when reading books set in Scotland. It did have just enough Glasgow slang to make it authentic without being too irritating. It certainly isn't enough to put off any non-Scots.

Even without the Glasgow setting it made for a great read. There are two others in the series and those have been added to my list. Look forward to seeing what Maureen gets up to next.

Top Ten Tuesday - Authors I'm dying to meet.

Top Ten Tuesday is a book meme over at The Broke and the Bookish.

I actually don't want to meet my favourite authors. I fear disappointment and that they will turn out to be completely different. Still, I have met some authors who became favourites. They were so lovely in person I tried their books and loved them (John Connolly is an example).

1. Haruki Murakami. I actually don't think he will disappoint. He comes across as quite shy and retiring. Hates to be the centre of attention. This is the sense I get from rare interviews. I think this would come across in person. I would love to talk about his books with him.

2. Jane Austen. I bet the humour that came across in her writing would also come across in person. I think she would have been fun to meet. Despite having read all her books I actually know very little about this author personally so it would be interesting too.

3. Jasper Fforde. I have actually met him and embarrassed myself by running away. I remember it amused him but he did come across as lovely. If anything I need to redeem myself.

4. Derek Landy. The man who wrote some of the funniest teen books I have ever read. I would love to meet the creator of Skulduggery.

5. Stephen Fry. He does count since I have read his autobiographies and have one of his works of fiction on my shelf (still to read it mind you). My favourite celebrity.

6. Stephen King. His books meant so much to me growing up and I still enjoy them now. Would love to talk to him about my favourites.

7. Neil Gaiman. I have heard a horror story about someone who met this author. I actually don't trust this persons accuracy and so would love to meet him for himself. Plus, he is into so many different things he could never be boring.

8. Douglas Coupland. Mainly because he is the first contemporary fiction writer I could list on under favourite author. I still love his work.

9. Margaret Atwood. Another talented Canadian. I actually read her book of essays. She has lots of interesting views on other books. Would love to know if she has read some of my favourites.

10. Susannah Clarke. Actually I really just want to know if she is planning on more books and will it be linked to the Mr Norrell universe.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading!

This is a great meme by Sheila of Book Journey. A way for everyone to share their reads.

This week I had a fairly good week and read;
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Actually started this the week before. A fantastic classic. Recommend it to everyone.

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. I needed a light read after the Russian classic and this was perfect. Such a sweet children's story. Wish I had read it when I was little.

Hospital Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones. There is a whole series of these but this was the only one I was interested in. A very funny light read.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A moving story of boyhood friendship. Very grateful to my friend who insisted I read it despite my reservations.

Just now I am reading;
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts as part of a readalong. I am still loving it. There is a few weeks to go but I am considering trying to finish it this week.

Garnethill by Denise Mina. A Scottish crime novel. Loving it so far.

Next I plan to read;
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell. This is part of the books I should have read by now challenge. It's been collecting dust on my shelf for over a year now. I love David Mitchell too. Plus it's set in Japan, an added bonus!

What are you reading?