Curious Book Fans

Solace

Ian — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:51:28 +0000

Solace by Belinda McKeon is a novel about loss and the difficulty which so many people have communicating about important issues, particularly across generations. It is set against the background of Ireland in the early part of this century, at a time when rural areas continued to cling to traditional values and ways of life while brash modern Ireland epitomised by the Dublin property boom gradually began to encroach. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Crime of Reporting

Anjana Basu — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:28:07 +0000

To paraphrase a quote from the Sharukh Khan film Don, ‘capturing the Don is not difficult, just impossible’. Oswald Pereira’s Newsroom Mafia explores a perennially fascinating terrain for fans of any kind of Mafia fiction. Pereira used to be a crime reporter in Mumbai before he retired, so he draws on his experiences to tell his story. Newsroom Mafia is the tale of the invincible Don Narayan Swamy and the struggle of ‘supercop’ Donald Fernandez to bring him to book. Narayan Swamy is based on the infamous godfather of Matunga Vardarajan Mudaliar and bears full testimony to the accuracy of the gangster films that crop up in Bollywood. Supporting him the Don has an entourage of journalists who run planted stories in exchange for lucrative remuneration and bottles of scotch. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Stag and Hen Weekend

kingfisher — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:24:16 +0000

If I am looking for a light and entertaining read then I am always happy to pick up any of Mike Gayle's books. His novels are always amusing and provide a fabulous insight into a lad's point of view. In his latest book, 'The Stag and Hen Weekend', the readers still gets this but they are also treated to the female perspective too. To be honest, this is really two books in one as the reader is invited along on both Helen's hen weekend at a country spa and Phil's stag weekend in Amsterdam. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Soldier’s Wife

kingfisher — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:45:22 +0000

Joanna Trollope is one of my favourite writers and her latest novel, 'The Soldier's Wife', is just as good as, if not better than, as all of her other books. This story is a keen observation and fascinating insight into what it is like to be an army wife. Dan Riley is a major in the British army and is returning home from a six month tour serving in Afghanistan. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Hockney’s Portraits and People

frangliz — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:22:20 +0000

Concentrating on just one aspect of artist David Hockney's work, Marco Livingstone and Kay Heymer's “Hockney's Portraits and People” nevertheless contains a huge amount of variety. Of the 246 illustrations, 233 are in colour. Some of the works are well known, but others are published here for the first time. Some depict the famous, such as Christopher Isherwood, W.H. Auden, and Andy Warhol, as well as Henry Geldzahler and Celia Birtwell, both great friends of Hockney. Portraits of lovers and family members also make up a considerable part of the works reproduced in the book, and there are quite a few self-portraits. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Outnumbered, Outgunned, Undeterred: Twenty Battles Against All Odds

collingwood21 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:19:59 +0000

“What is it that compels men and women to fight, endure and perhaps emerge victorious, though all the odds may be against them? What conditions must exist to enable relatively small or weak forces to challenge and even overcome the strong?” With these questions in mind, Rob Johnson – former British Army officer and current lecturer in the history of war at Oxford University – sets out to examine twenty examples of bravery on the battlefield to look for the characteristics of success in war when situations might suggest there is no hope left. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

All That I am

elkiedee — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:13:02 +0000

“When Hitler came to power, I was in the bath”. In Sydney, Australia in the 1990s, Dora Becker receives a package, containing the writings of a long dead friend. Those writings and the memories of Dora, a German woman now in her nineties, form the narrative structure of this thought provoking novel. I have read a lot of novels and non fiction about this period recently, but All That I Am is more than just another tale about more victims and survivors of Nazism. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Interesting Times

Anjana Basu — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:11:42 +0000

The exploration of the unknown has fascinated writers since time immemorial, wanderings, encounters with a new culture and the induction into it. This has been seen in popular fiction as well as literary – the latter starting perhaps with Marco Polo, who was accused of manufacturing much of his information. What is also curious is that people have been fascinated by encounters between the west and the orient – one could number books like Lord Jim, Shogun, River of Smoke and most recently The Yellow Emperor’s Cure, the last two written by Indian authors. Amitabh Ghosh and Kunal Basu. In fact, the last two have hit the public gaze within a year of each other. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Q&A with Charley Boorman

eilidhcatriona — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:26:02 +0000

Charley, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to Curious Book Fans, we’re big fans of yours. Tell us a little bit about Extreme Frontiers – how did the idea come about and why did you choose Canada? Ewan and I had gone through many different countries together including Canada. We travelled through the Rockies but there was a big fire so we didn’t actually get to see them due to the smoke! From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Winter Palace

Mary Bor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:00:06 +0000

Eva Stachniak’s The Winter Palace is a colourful tale of the first years spent by Princess Sophie – who in the course of the novel becomes Catherine the Great – in St. Petersburg’s infamous Winter Palace. Told from the point of view of Vavara, a Polish girl who finds herself at the heart of Empress Elizabeth’s court, ‘The Winter Palace’ is a veritable assault on the senses as well as a thoroughly absorbing tale. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Betrayal

Mary Bor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:38:10 +0000

In Helen Dunmore’s ‘The Betrayal’ we catch up with doctor Andrei, his nursery school teacher wife Anna and Anna’s younger brother Kolya, now a teenager and the source of much anxiety for his sister. The family first appeared in Dunmore’s Whitbread and Orange short-listed “The Siege” set during the harsh Leningrad winter of 1941-2. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Last Man in Tower

koshkha — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:47:55 +0000

Aravind Adiga’s latest book ‘Last Man in Tower’ explores what it takes to turn ordinary respectable middle-class people into evil, devious, greedy beasts prepared to contemplate murder. It looks at how neighbours so emotionally and physically close that they live like extended family can become enemies. I would also say it offers wholly believable insights into the psychology of bullying and persecution – tracking how the perpetrators of abuse can convince themselves that they are in fact the victims despite their abusive behaviour. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Dr. Dimsdale and Catherine the Great’s Fear of Smallpox

Guest — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:24:09 +0000

Smallpox had been one of Catherine the Great’s greatest fears. When she arrived in Russia at 14, a fiancée to the Grand Duke Peter, the disease almost destroyed her future. The Grand Duke contracted smallpox and, even though he eventually recovered, it disfigured his body and made him even more awkward and insecure than he had been before. In the dark, long weeks when Peter’s life hung in the balance, Catherine knew that had he died, she would have been sent back to Zerbst without much ceremony. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Is That a Fish in Your Ear?

eilidhcatriona — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:02:15 +0000

Is That a Fish in Your Ear? by David Bellos, with the subtitle Translation and the Meaning of Everything, is a study of the world of translation. What is translation, what does it mean to translate, the history of translation, the pitfalls and different types of translation...these are all areas which Bellos looks at. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Simply Beautiful Photographs

frangliz — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:25:34 +0000

The title Simply Beautiful Photographs is of course self-explanatory. This book is a National Geographic publication, a hardcover book containing superb images printed on high quality paper. It is just asking to be consumed, but there is of course no way anyone could take in all of its images at once. It is the kind of book to dip into every so often, and every time you do you are bound to come across an image that surprises or delights you and is totally different from the ones you poured over on the previous occasion. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Teahouse of the August Moon

Kate — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:06:54 +0000

The Teahouse of the August Moon, by the American novelist Vern Sneider, is a gentle comedy about the American occupation of Japan after the Second World War, where the Japanese get the better of the Americans, the Americans organise the Japanese more efficiently, and everyone learns to love each other’s way of life. My fascination with this book began because it was a beautiful fairy story with a happy ending. Later, I reread it to enjoy the tidy way that everything worked out just fine: I do like the practical organisation of happy endings. I also reread it endlessly to get to the bottom of the mysterious geisha girls: why were they such a problem? They seemed so nice, and did their own sewing. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Help

eilidhcatriona — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:29:08 +0000

Kathryn Stockett’s The Help is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, during the Civil Rights movement. Life in Jackson, however, does not really seem to be changing. The Help is a story of two black maids (the help), and one white woman who writes a book about the experiences of maids in Jackson. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too

koshkha — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:44:20 +0000

John Diamond was a journalist and broadcaster known for his wit as much as for his marriage to Nigella Lawson and he was by his own admission, a hypochondriac. After decades of seeing every little twinge as a portent of medical doom and waiting almost expectantly for the heart attack for which decades of over-indulgence must surely qualify him, it was as much a self-fulfilling prophesy as a big surprise when a lump in his neck turned out to be more sinister than he'd expected. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The More You Give, the More You will Get Back

Anjana Basu — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:56:21 +0000

It is a truth universally acknowledged that self help books are the trend of the day because they encourage others to dream. Rashmi Bansal has put together a handy collection of the realized dreams of 20 social entrepreneurs to serve as examples for others to follow. The entrepreneurs are clubbed in 3 groups: “rainmakers”, “changemakers”, and “the spiritual capitalist”, with individual chapters which have admittedly intriguing titles like ‘The Girl in the Mirror’, “Soul Food’ and ‘Lead Kindly Light’, to mention a few. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Care of Wooden Floors

Mary Bor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:39:32 +0000

When Oskar asks an old university friend to look after his apartment while he goes to attend to his divorce in Los Angeles, he clearly has some inkling that the property may not be looked after exactly as he would wish. Why else would he leave notes hidden around the flat outlining the action to be taken should the worst occur? The worst, it seems, would be damage to the apartment’s pristine wooden floor and Oskar’s notes stress the importance of acting quickly should anything be spilled on the boards. from www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Delta

eilidhcatriona — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:51:12 +0000

Having thoroughly enjoyed Tony Park’s recent novel, African Dawn, I added his other novels to my wishlist – all of them set in Africa and sounding similarly exciting. He hasn’t written that many novels, so I decided to ration them so as to make the enjoyment of them last. My first purchase was The Delta. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

The Jungle Book

koshkha — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:21:03 +0000

For someone who loves India and has an interest nearing on obsession with the days of the Raj and the fight for Independence, I could be expected to have an opinion on Rudyard Kipling. Perhaps I do, but it’s one until now based on ignorance because I’d never read any of his books – the odd poem in school, but never an actual book. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Lone Wolf

kingfisher — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:30:48 +0000

Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors as her novels always challenge and provoke whilst tackling controversial topics. In her latest book, 'Lone Wolf', she prompts one to think about the sanctity of life as her main character is kept alive by machines in his hospital bed while his children argue about whether he should be allowed to die. The novel is made more interesting though as we learn about Luke Warren's past and the somewhat unorthodox relationships he has had with his family. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Twisting my Melon

koshkha — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:48:19 +0000

When Shaun Ryder appeared in (and very nearly won) the 2010 TV series of 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here', the nation split into two camps. The over 55s and under 35s mostly didn't have the slightest idea who he was and those whose age lay between knew exactly who Ryder was but were flabbergasted he'd survived the years of drugs and hard living with his mental faculties sufficiently in tact to be capable of doing much more than sitting in a corner talking to himself. From www.curiousbookfans.co.uk

Amazing Tales For Making Men Out of Boys

collingwood21 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:23:38 +0000

“There was a time not so very long ago when boys were taught to be men” writes author, archaeologist and broadcaster Neil Oliver, and “part of the education of boys came from reading tales of brave and selfless deeds”. Not so any more. “It’s rubbish being a British man at the moment…nowadays the rest of the world sees British men as the performing seals of George W Bush’s Wild West Show. We’re the sick men of Europe too with our lazy fat guts and our binge-drinking.” from www.curiousbookfans.co.uk