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Archive for December, 2020

‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’ by Helen Fielding (minor spoilers for this and previous book)

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , , on December 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »

I’ve read this book before, but it was several years ago, after reading Bridget Jones’ Diary. I admit that when I reread the first book, I felt somewhat disappointed and wondered if I would feel the same way after rereading this one, the first sequel.

Bridget starts off this book in a good place. Happy relationship, good friendships etc etc, but naturally she can’t help screwing things up. Through a colossal and somewhat unbelievable series of misunderstandings, she and Mark end up splitting up (don’t these people ever actually just sit and TALK to each other).

As before, her friends Shazzer and Jude feature heavily and while they are both well meaning and loyal, they are also full of ridiculous advice. This books takes Bridget to such far flung shores as Rome and Thailand, sees her life threatened, and her having to live through several embarrassing and cringeworthy situations.

On the positive side, it’s an undemanding read – perfect for that strange week between Christmas and New Year when you have no idea what day it is, or what’s going on (which is when I read it) and Helen Fielding definitely knows how to write humour. I did on several occasions burst into giggles.

On the other hand, Bridget herself is – let’s face it – a hot mess. Living her life according to self-help books which usually contradict each other and only having herself to blame for lots of the problems that arise just made me frustrated. For example, at one point she gets the chance to fly to Italy and interview her favourite actor. Instead of preparing her questions beforehand, packing in advance and getting an early night the evening before she is due to fly, she fails to prepare anything, gets drunk the night before, doesn’t pack and therefore misses her flight, causing everything to need to be rearranged. She is always late for work and it’s always her own fault. So when people say that Bridget is relatable, I have to say – to WHO exactly?

So overall, a slightly frustrating experience rereading this. But not altogether unenjoyable. Maybe I’ll pick it up again in another 15 years and see what I think then.

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‘Hercule Poirot’s Christmas’ by Agatha Christie

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , on December 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

I do enjoy Hercule Poirot stories, and this Christmas themed one was perfect for this time of year. Simeon Lee, a cruel patriarch of his family, invites his four sons to spend the Christmas season with him. However, when he is found viciously murdered by having his throat cut, suspicion abounds as all four men have their own reasons for wanting him dead. The inimitable Poirot is called in to help with the investigation and he soon starts to uncover family secrets…

For me, this was one of the better Poirot stories – I enjoyed it a lot and crucially did not guess the ending which was very cleverly done. Poirot is as entertaining as ever, and it’s fascinating reading as all the clues come together. Also, it is set in one location with a small cast of characters, two things that I always enjoy.

If you are an Agatha Christie or Hercule Poirot fan, or if you like classic British crime stories, I am sure this book would appeal to you.

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‘Ryan’s Christmas’ by LJ Ross

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , on December 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »

I like to read and listen to Christmas themed books at this time of year, so I chose to listen to this one while out on my runs during the lead up to Christmas (finished it on Christmas Eve, which was ideal).

It’s one of a series of books about DCI Jack Ryan, but it was the first one I had listened to/read. There are obvious references to previous books, but nothing that made it difficult to understand this one, and you could pretty much enjoy this as a standalone novella.

Ryan and his historian wife Anna, with their friends Frank and Mackenzie, who are also married, are on their way back from a short break when they get stranded by the snow and have to spend the night at England’s apparently most haunted castle, in Northumberland, with a motley crue of staff and other guests.

When a grisly murder occurs, the Ryan and co have to interrupt their holiday to investigate the crime. With everybody being snowed in, and nobody able to enter the premises, it is clear that the murderer is somebody already there, meaning that time is of the essence before another murder occurs.

I definitely enjoyed listening to this book. I enjoy mysteries set in one location with a small cast of characters, as this was. I also liked the DCI Ryan character and his friend Frank. Mackenzie and Anna were good characters, but I suspect I would have liked them more in print, as unfortunately the narrator Jonathan Keeble, while generally good, was TERRIBLE at female voices. The mystery itself was entertaining enough, a touch Agatha Christie-is (no bad thing) and I didn’t guess the ending. All in all, a likeable enough story and I would happily listen to more in this series.

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‘The Art of Fielding’ by Chad Harbach

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , , on December 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The Art of Fielding is an intriguing and warm book, with – for me anyway – a kind of old-fashioned feel to it. I felt like it seemed to be set in say the 1950s, rather than the modern day.

Henry Skrimshander is a star of the baseball team at Westish College and seems destined for great things. But one day he makes a throw which goes disastrously wrong, and which sets Henry’s life, and those of four others, on a very different path to what was planned. Henry’s confidence diminishes, which has an effect on his game, while his friend and unofficial coach Mike Schwartz realises that he has spent his college life helping Henry determine his future, at the cost of his own. The college president, Guert Affenlight falls hopelessly in love for the first time in a long time, while his daughter Pella comes to the college seeking to escape her unsuccessful marriage. And Henry’s charismatic roommate Owen embarks on a dangerous affair with possible serious consequences.

I really liked the book, and felt for most of the characters. I liked Henry and Mike, Guert too…Pella not so much, although I did think she was relatable. However, I ADORED Owen. He lit up every scene he was in, and was exactly the kind of friend you would want in your life.

The story itself is more a narrative of these people’s lives, sometimes unremarkable and mundane, but with the occasional significant event, as opposed to being a series of highly dramatic moments. Often the most dramatic moments happen on the baseball field and at this point I do think it’s worth pointing out that if you don’t like or follow baseball, large parts of this book might not grab you. It would be a big help if you have a least some knowledge of baseball positions etc going in.

So all in all, it’s a hard sort of book to describe, but I liked it a lot. It’s a story to savour rather than to devour, which is why I took my time with it. Very enjoyable.

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‘Cherringham: A Cosy Crime Series – Playing Dead’ by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , on December 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Another short audiobook mystery from the creators of Cherringham. In this ‘episode’ Sarah and Jack investigate when a series of unfortunate incidents threaten the Cherringham Players Amateur Dramatics Society. Sarah’s mother Helen is one of the players and asks the two self-styled detectives to step in and investigate whether or not someone is trying to sabotage them, or if they are just having a run of bad luck. Of course, it’s not very spoilery to say that everything that’s happening is deliberate – but who is behind it, and why?

I enjoyed this story a lot – it’s filled with the usual cast of characters, with their own personal secrets and disputes rising to the surface as events pile up one after the other. Jack and Sarah continue to grow close. It’s not very realistic, but it’s decent cosy escapism. Another solid entry in this series.

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‘The Stranger’s Wife’ by Anna-Lou Weatherley

Posted in Book Reviews, tagged , , , , , on December 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »

This was an audiobook narrated by James Lailey. It tells the story of two women – Beth Lawlor and Cath Patterson. Beth is caught in a loveless marriage to Evan but a shocking event helps her make up her mind to leave him and start a new life with her lover. Cath is trapped in a relationship with a physically and mentally abusive junkie named Saul. She knows she has to leave him but fears that if she does he will find her and kill her. A chance meeting leads to a shocking turn of events, and detective Dan Riley is soon put on the case…

The book is told from three points of view – those of Cath and Beth, which are both told in the third person, and that of Dan, which is told in the first person. I preferred the narration for Dan’s parts but I think Beth and Cath’s parts were told with a lack of emotion, which didn’t greatly impact my enjoyment but was noticeable. I do think a female narrator might have been better for those chapters, as they are telling female points of view, but it didn’t stop me liking the book.

This is the third book in the Dan Riley series, which I didn’t realise until I started listening, but it makes no difference as it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone novel.

Anyhow, I don’t want to give away anything else about the storyline, but I will say that I enjoyed this book a lot and would definitely consider reading or listening to more books by this author. If I had to nitpick, I would say that a couple of chapters – in both cases conversations between two characters – could have done with cutting down somewhat, and also the whole premise of this story relies on a huge coincidence which struck me as very unlikely. But if you can suspend your disbelief and just go with it, this is on the whole an enjoyable and interesting read (or listen). If you are a fan of mysteries I would probably recommend this one.

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