Sue's Book Reviews

A Miracle for St Cecilia's (by Katherine Valentine)

2013-05-06T16:01:00.000+02:00

I don't remember where I first heard of Katherine Valentine. Perhaps her books were recommended to me after finishing some by Jan Karon. Perhaps she was mentioned after I enjoyed novels by Susan Howatch. In any case, I had this book on my wishlist for some years but had quite forgotten it was there, until I was given it for my recent birthday.

'A miracle for St Cecilia's is a gentle kind of novel, set in small town America, featuring a Roman Catholic Church. Most of the town's population know each other, and despite financial problems they all seem to hang out in the coffee shop regularly. The waitress there is deeply troubled because her husband is very ill, waiting in vain for a bone marrow transplant; but pretty much everyone has some kind of worry or problem.

In addition to all this, the church itself is in danger of closing down. Father James, who works there, has no idea what his future might hold, and is even more worried about what will happen to his elderly predecessor who's getting rather erratic, but who definitely does not want to be sent to a retirement home in a different state.

All this could have been set at any point in the 20th century, however the book was actually published in 2002, and is brought right up to date with yet another storyline: that of a somewhat nerdy teenager who has been suspended from school for hacking, comes up with a rather unusual idea that gets somewhat out of hand. With the benefit of an extra ten years of technology since then, I still found myself faintly bewildered at the idea and its implementation, none of which seemed believable - but it did provide some light humour, so in the end I didn't worry about whether or not it was feasible.

The novel makes pleasant light reading; it was somewhat in the style of Jan Karon, although there was no main character - other than, perhaps, the priest; but it was not all told from his perspective. I found it very hard to remember who was whom, although part of that was that I read the first third sporadically over a couple of weeks. The story-lines were a bit rambling, and it took me some time to get into it.

I then read the second half at one sitting, on a long flight, and found myself getting much more 'into' the story, hoping for good outcomes, even though I still found rather too many characters to relate to. Some of the conclusions felt a bit contrived - rather literally 'deus ex machina' in some cases - but overall it was quite heartwarming, with parts that were encouraging and uplifting.

I'm not sure if I will read any of the sequels, but I was glad - finally! - to have had the chance to read this book. Recommended in a low key way for anyone who likes books in the style of Jan Karon or Philip Gulley.

No longer in print in either the UK or US, but it's available in Kindle form, and can sometimes be found second-hand in paperback.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 6th May 2013

The Jesus Revolution (by Leith Anderson)

2013-04-30T14:19:00.000+02:00

I had never heard of Leith Anderson. Apparently he is the president of the US Association of Evangelicals, and was previously a senior pastor. He's written some other books in addition to this one.

I came across 'The Jesus Revolution' when it was available free for the Kindle some time ago. Browsing through my extensive collection of Kindle books, while away from home, this looked like a good one to read in quiet moments each morning. It's essentially a set of studies on the Biblical book of Acts, so it worked well to read one section per day.

The studies give an overview of each chapter, with some interesting historical context, and also some application for today. It took me a few weeks to get through it all, not because it was difficult to read, but because time was limited and I didn't always remember to get to it.

I can't say that I found anything really new or inspiring in the book, but sometimes it's useful to have overview reminders of something familiar. The writing is good, the style quite easy to read, and there are some interesting sections, particularly those looking at the background. There are some useful reminders, too, about the excitement that prevailed in the early Church: something which we've rather lost today. Some of it seemed quite thought-provoking when I read it, although I didn't really think about it much through the day, and a couple of weeks later I don't recall anything specific that I read.

Still, overall I thought that it was worth reading; recommended in a low-key kind of way if you're interested in an overview of the book of Acts, but don't expect anything revelatory. Links are to paperback editions of this book, and the Kindle versions are no longer free. I would not have wanted to pay full price.

Perhaps I should re-read it some day when I have more time to think.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 30th April 2013

Right-ho, Jeeves (by PG Wodehouse)

2013-04-21T13:45:00.000+02:00

It must have been about forty years ago that my father first recommended I read some PG Wodehouse books. I'm still grateful for his recommendation; his novels have been a source of enjoyment many times over the past few decades, even though I don't read them very often.

Although only the second of his Jeeves and Wooster books, I consider 'Right ho, Jeeves' to be classic Wodehouse. It begins with Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves having a little altercation about a new jacket which Bertie has bought... and relations are inevitably a little strained. It doesn’t help that Jeeves has been advising Bertie’s friend Gussie Fink-Nottle in his pursuit of Madeleine Bassett, whom he is too timid to approach... and so far, Jeeves’ efforts have not had much success.

Before long they go to stay with Bertie's Aunt Dalia, after her daughter Angela breaks her engagament to another of Bertie’s friends, Tuppy Glossop. Naturally there are various other problems afoot, including Aunt Dalia’s gambling debt, and the temperamental nature of her brilliant cook Anatole. Bertie, convinced that Jeeves has lost his touch, attempts to solve everything by himself... and gradually finds himself getting into deeper and deeper water as the unexpected occurs.

It's perhaps twenty or more years since I last read this book, but many of the scenes came back to me as I read this, off and on, during a busy period recently. I don't laugh aloud very often with PG Wodehouse, but I smile a great deal, and appreciate his wordplay and irony, and the wonderful naivety and (sometimes) gross stupidity of the hapless Bertie. It’s an excellent book for relaxation, and for delving for a while into a simpler and more amusing (albeit caricatured) world.

It needed hardly be stated that Jeeves comes out top in the end with a brilliant solution to the various problems.... albeit rather at the expense of Bertie himself.

This kind of upper-class verbal slapstick doesn't appeal to everyone, and inevitably the style is slightly dated, as it was first published in 1934. But the humour shines through, the people, if unbelievable t times, are still superb, and I enjoyed it very much. I was delighted to find it available free for the Kindle at Project Gutenberg although its still in print in paperback in various editions, and often found second hand. Note that links are to paperback versions on the UK and US Amazon sites; the free electronic edition can be found by searching for the title at Project Gutenberg.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, April 21st 2013

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (by Jenny Colgan)

2013-04-09T12:43:00.000+02:00

For some reason, I had not previously read any books by Jenny Colgan, despite having read several reviews of her work. They sounded interesting enough that I put a couple on my wishlist, and was then delighted to spot one on The Bookbag site, so I asked for a copy.

The cover of 'The loveliest chocolate shop in Paris' is attractive with a hint of nostalgia, and a 'chick-lit' look about it that was quite appealing. I decided to read it at the airport and on a five-hour flight - and it was ideal for the purpose.

The main character is Anna who has been working as a supervisor at a chocolate factory. She’s 30, and recently split with her boyfriend. Then a freak accident at work, followed by a nasty infection in hospital leaves her unemployed, apathetic and with no idea what her future holds.

While in hospital, Anna becomes friendly with Claire, who - years previously - was her French teacher. To pass the time, Claire teaches Anna some more French and then Claire suggests that she might take a temporary job in Paris with an old friend of hers.

The story is mostly set in the 21st century, following Anna as she sets out into the unknown. But interleaved throughout is the story of Claire’s own adventures in Paris when she was 17. Although the two women are a generation apart in age, and grew up in different circumstances, their stories intertwine beautifully as each begins to experience a new culture. Claire as a teenager was entranced by the chocolate maker Thierry; it’s his shop, now famous throughout France, where Anna is now working. Thierry has become seriously obese as he has grown older, and it’s his son whom Anna finds oddly attractive.

There are romantic threads, but there’s also a lot about French culture, and some detail about the process of chocolate-making. I felt as if I had learned quite a bit, yet at no point did I feel that I was being coerced into education. The writing flows well, and it was an ideal book for me to read on the flight.

Recommended for anyone who likes a story that’s both light and poignant. Available in Kindle form in both the US and UK, as well as paperback.

You can also read my slightly longer review of 'The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris' at the Bookbag site.

Good Husband Material (by Trisha Ashley)

2013-04-07T20:50:00.001+02:00

The first time I read a book by Trisha Ashley, I found her somewhat informal writing style a bit difficult to get into, and was irritated by some apparently random switches from past to present tense. But as I got into the story, I enjoyed it more and more. Chick-lit for the middle aged was my overall opinion - and I don’t mean that disparagingly. It was light, free from anything X-rated, and had a positive ending. I found the same to be true of further books I read by this author, and so was delighted to see this one on the Bookbag shelves.

The title of the book, 'Good Husband Material', does not refer to Fergal. He is part of a popular rock band, who is reputed to live a scandalous lifestyle. He is introduced when he recalls his first dramatic meeting with 17-year-old Tish, and their year-long romance.

Most of the book is told from Tish’s point of view, over ten years later She is married to a rather dull solicitor called James, and longs for a place in the country. She writes romantic fiction, and we quickly learn that she was badly hurt by Fergal when he left her to go on tour in America.

Tish falls in love with a country cottage in need of a great deal of renovation. James is not keen, but they move, and start renovating... and things go downhill for their marriage.

It’s fairly clear from the start that Tish’s romance with Fergal will be re-kindled. I felt quite sorry for James at first; however I soon lost any sympathy I had for him: he is thoughtless, snobbish, and something of a male chauvinist.

While the main plot is predictable, there are fascinating observations about village life, and some wonderful minor characters. I particularly liked Tish’s eccentric and outspoken Granny, and I was very taken with the shopkeeper Mrs Deakin, who knows everything about everyone and likes nothing more than a good gossip with her customers. There is a hint of mystery about Tish’s own past, too and also about why James is spending increasing amounts of time away from home.

There’s a bit of humour here and there which made me smile The informal style wasn't too instrusive, and although there are still a few annoying tense-changes, it wasn't a huge deal. I read the second half of the book almost in one sitting and did not get bored for a moment. All in all, I would recommend this as ideal light holiday reading, if you want something undemanding and a bit fluffy.

Apparently this was first published in 2000 but has recently been re-printed in paperback and made available for the Kindle.

You can also read my longer review of Good Husband Material at the Bookbag site.

Twenties Girl (by Sophie Kinsella)

2013-04-05T20:19:00.000+02:00

For too many years I avoided books by Sophie Kinsella, being unfairly biased against so -called ‘chick lit’. But when I finally read one of her books, I was converted - and have enjoyed pretty much everything she’s written. Fluffy? Undoubtedly. But never boring.

So I was delighted to find ‘Twenties Girl’ on a church bookstall a few months ago, and picked it up for bedtime reading recently, wanting something light and undemanding. I had not expected to find a ghost story, which is not a genre that generally interests me. But this is no spooky thriller; instead, the ghost is a strong character in her own right, quite stubborn at times. She even sulks.

The story starts with Lara explaining why one sometimes has to lie to parents in order to protect them. It’s a brilliant start to the story which gives an insight not just into Lara’s personality, but to her relationship with her somewhat over-protective parents. We quickly learn that they are all going to the funeral of Great Aunt Sadie, who lived to the age of 105, spending her last couple of decades in a nursing home. Nobody in the family really knew her, and they didn’t even visit her, so Lara isn’t entirely certain why she’s going.

We also meet the fabulously wealthy and rather obnoxious Uncle Bill at the funeral - he owns a coffee kingdom which competes with Starbucks, and has written a popular self-help book about how to get rich.

And just as the drab service is underway, with very few attenders, Lara’s attention is taken up by a voice, belonging to a girl around her own age, who tells her she has to stop the funeral. She succeeds in doing this, to the consternernation of all around her since nobody else can hear the voice or see the girl. She then agrees (somewhat reluctantly) to look for a necklace. The girl is the ghost of her great aunt, appearing as she was in the 1920s.

Most of the book then charts the next few weeks, while Sadie and Lara get to know each other. It’s hard to remember that Sadie is a ghost sometimes, although her mind is firmly in the 1920s and she persuades Lara to wear some outrageous clothes, and to learn the Charleston...

There’s a low-key kind of romantic thread for Lara, who has just broken up with her boyfriend Josh, but is convinced they can get back together. And she also goes on some dates with Ed, an American who Sadie rather fancies, but whom Lara does not find very interesting... at least, at first.

We also learn more of Sadie’s story, which is very cleverly dealt with as Lara starts her search for the necklace - something which she thinks is silly at first, but gradually realises is very important. I had not guessed at some of the revelations that came later in the book, and while I suppose its all rather unlikely, it doesn’t matter - by the last couple of hundred pages, it was very difficult to put it down.

Good writing, amusing in places, poignant in others. Not to be taken too seriously, but excellent as light fiction for a holiday.

Recommended, if you enjoy this kind of surreal but enjoyable story with a good pace, and some mild humour.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 5th April 2013

Nine Little Goslings (by Susan Coolidge)

2013-04-04T20:00:00.000+02:00

Susan Coolidge is best known for her 'Katy' trilogy which begins with the classic 'What Katy Did'. While I've been familiar with these books for many years, it's only relatively recently that I learned of several other books which she wrote. Since they are long out of copyright - she lived in the 19th century - they are all available free for download from Project Gutenberg.

‘Nine Little Goslings’, which I just finished reading, is a book containing nine short stories, intended for children of about seven to ten, I suppose, since that’s the age of the featured children. The first one particularly interested me, being about Johnnie (Joanna) Carr, from the Katy series. Johnnie has been quite a tomboy until she is ill for a while, and then finds herself dreaming about being a princess, or perhaps being adopted by a long-lost relative. For once dreams appear to be coming true when her unknown godmother arrives and takes a great interest in her, offering to bring her up as her own. Her wise father suggests a temporary arrangement, and after a few weeks, Johnnie is very thankful for this!

I had thought the whole book might be about the Carrs, but each of the nine stories stands alone, featuring different children. The titles of the chapters are taken from nursery rhymes - so the first is called ‘Curly Locks’. The second, ‘Goosey Goosey Gander’, is about a small boy who really doesn’t want to go to bed. He is generally obedient, but finds himself unable to sleep.. and then spots a ladder that leads to the roof. He has some quite surprising adventures before returning home.. and then, at the end, it’s implied that they might have been a dream.

Each story was a good length for me to read while eating breakfast, as I often do with Kindle books, so it took me a little over a week to finish this. I found some of the later stories a bit depressing, but they were probably typical of the era, when children did not all survive childhood, and medical care was rather basic. Some of them have fairly overt morals - such as the first, encouraging children to be content with what they have - while others are more fanciful, just for entertainment.

I’m not sure what kind of child these stories would appeal to in the 21st century; they’re certainly not easy-reads, and the long-winded style might make them seem boring to children who prefer fast-paced modern adventures. They would probably appeal to more thoughtful and eclectic readers - those who are as happy to read ‘Little House on the Prairie’ as ‘Harry Potter’ - or could possibly be read aloud to children of around seven to nine who still like bedtime stories.

I don't know that I would particularly recommend this, but it made a nice change from other books, and was an interesting insight into the world of the late 19th century in which the author lived.

Note that the Amazon links given are to printed editions of this, which are fairly expensive for what they are; they also have Kindle versions

Changes for the Chalet School (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

2013-03-26T19:05:00.000+02:00

I've been a fan of Elinor M-Brent-Dyer's books since I first discovered some of her early Chalet School books (in hardback!) on my grandmother's shelves when I was perhaps nine or ten. I managed to read the entire series during my teenage years, and again as an adult; I now have the full set, and am slowly re-reading them.

I last read 'Changes for the Chalet School' in 2001. Depending on how you count them, this is around number 32 in the lengthy series - around half way through. It follows directly on from 'Bride leads the Chalet School'. Big changes are afoot in this story: the school is, at last, planning to return to the Euroepean continent. Not to Austria, yet - this is set in the late 1940s and the war is still too recent - but Switzerland, not far from where the finishing branch at Welsen was started a year or two previously.

Bride Bettany is still Head Girl, and the Maynard triplets return from Canada at last, stronger and more confident now they are twelve. Margot strikes up a friendship with the unpredictable Emerence Hope, much to the dismay of the authorities, but is persuaded to work hard after being placed in a form much lower than that of her sisters.

In some ways this is a run-of-the-mill Chalet School book, featuring regular school events and conversations, and a rather tedious amount of detail in the end-of-term regatta. The author managed to build up some very likeable, believable characters in these books, including the Bettany and Maynard families, and some of the more unusual girls. But the lists of winners in the various water events seemed entirely unnecessary, as if a couple of chapters had to be filled up before the end.

Still, regatta apart, this is an important book in the series as it shows the school packing up for a permanent - and planned - removal from the island where they have been so happy for the past few years.

Not particularly recommended, unless you are a fan of the series and/or are reading the entire set. It isn't currently in print and seems to be very over-priced at Amazon, but it's often found inexpensively in charity shops. The paperback Armada version is quite acceptable and has not been much abridged from the original.

Bonfire Memories (by Sally Quilford)

2013-03-23T18:38:00.000+02:00

I've had an online acquaintanceship with Sally Quilford for a few years now. She's quite a prolific writer, mostly of novellas in various genres, which she makes available inexpensively for the Kindle. She offered several of them free for download briefly a few months ago, so I leapt at the opportunity.

'Bonfire Memories' is part of the crime fiction series set in the fictional town of Midchester. I'm not a huge fan of crime fiction in general, although I enjoy the occasional Agatha Christie, but Sally's books have a light touch and romantic themes running through them. I had previously read and enjoyed another of this series - 'True Love Ways' - so was looking forward to this.

At the start of the book, someone - we don’t learn their name until nearly the end of the book - is waiting in a pub in Midchester in 1946. A young woman walks in, and the two speak briefly in their own tongue - evidently German - and arrange to meet elsewhere. Clearly they have been lovers... perhaps they will be again. But there’s something very chilling about this introduction.

The narrative then leaps forward twenty years, and we meet Guy Sullivan. He's a film star who is staying in Midchester to have a break. An eager young journalist called Cara arrives to interview him, and he gives the kind of answers he thinks her readers will like, while evidently keeping a great deal secret. He’s surprised to find that he’s quite attracted to Cara, since he’s not a fan of journalists in general.

The story continues, switching between the two viewpoints, with the majority of the action taking place in 1966. Cara is supposed to be organising the village bonfire for Guy Fawkes’ Day, but has never much liked the celebration; gradually an unpleasant memory from her past surfaces, when the first murder takes place in the village... and then everyone is under suspicion.

There were a few more shocks than I'm totally comfortable with, but nothing really gory, and slightly to my surprise I found myself liking this book very much. There’s a gentle ongoing romance blossoming, albeit a little predictable, which takes the edge of the crime. There are also several past secrets unfolding, which are evidently connected somehow with the increasingly nasty voice from 1946 which joins the narrative every so often in Italic font, making it easy to spot.

Perhaps the main plot was a little far-fetched, but it was all extremely cleverly written, with different storylines unfolding together and the past and present coming together subtly. There were hints as to the possible identity of the voice from the past, but it took me a long time to figure out who it was - and although I was thinking along the right lines by the time the name was revealed, I had not latched onto the right person.

The writing is crisp, and while this is a short book (a novella rather than a novel) which does not give time for much depth of characterisation, I found myself liking Cara very much, and was quite keen on Guy too. I was also pleased to see some references to the local Vicar and his wife Meredith, who featured in 'True Love Ways'. I look forward to reading more in this series in the future.

Definitely recommended if you have a Kindle.

What happens when women pray? (by Evelyn Christenson)

2013-03-22T18:44:00.000+02:00

This is one of those books which turned up on our bookshelves, as so many books seem to have done, some time in the 1980s. I'd not heard of the author - the late Evelyn Christenson - but apparently she prayed that God would help her to teach the world to pray.

I first read 'What happens when women pray?' in 1999. I really didn’t like the title of this book much, but apparently the author was persuaded to change it from 'What happens when we pray?' by her publishers, who felt that it would appeal more to women. And to be fair, the title does reflect content of the early chapters, where the author describes her experiments setting up prayer groups in her neighbourhood, and seeing what happens.

The book opens back in 1967 when Evelyn Christenson was asked by her denomination in the US to do an experiment - gathering together a group of women to pray, and then record what happened after six months. She began with eight somewhat reluctant participants who had no idea what to expect... and then, gradually, they started seeing God at work.

Before long Evelyn was running prayer workshops, and inspiring churches and other gatherings all over the country to try group prayer, using her recommended principles to get going. She describes the ‘6 S’ guidelines in one of the chapters: keeping prayers short, simple, and specific, praying subject by subject, allowing for silences, and praying in small groups. Not that these are rigid requirements, just suggestions to make it easier to get started.

As when I’ve previously read the book, I found myself quite encouraged to read what the women learned about themselves and God, quite apart from ‘answers’ to prayer. But my inclination as an introvert is still to pray alone rather than in groups, something which is mentioned but is obviously not the focus of the book.

It was interesting reading the last chapter, on telephone prayer chains, which now seems quite dated in the modern era when email prayer chains are probably commoner, allowing requests to go instantly to a large number of people, and - more importantly - ensuring that the original request is correctly passed on, rather than losing something or even getting muddled after being passed from phone to phone by people who may not know much about the situation concerned.

The writing is good, with anecdotes about the prayer groups nicely mixed in with some gentle teaching about prayer in general, and I enjoyed re-reading this book over the last week or so.

Recommended. I'm delighted to see that it's still in print on both sides of the Atlantic.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 22nd March 2013

Peaches for M le Curé (by Joanne Harris)

2013-03-18T19:51:00.000+02:00

It’s over seven years since I first came across Joanne Harris. I read her debut novel ‘Chocolat’, set in a small French town called Lansquenet, after reading several enthusiastic reviews. I liked it, on the whole, and often wondered vaguely what happened to Vianne, the chocolate-making and rather mystical heroine, not to mention the people whose lives she affected so deeply. A couple of years later I read ‘The Lollipop Shoes’ which purported to be a sequel, but really stood alone. It was set in Paris and rather different in style. I liked it, too, but somehow it did not feel as if it involved the same people.

So I was very pleased to read ‘Peaches for Monsier Le Curé’, whch turns out to be a true sequel to 'Chocolat'. Vianne receives an unexpected letter, and decides that she might as well make a visit to Lansquenet with her teenage daughter Anouk and her six-year-old Rosette. They stay in an empty house which belonged to an old friend, and gradually find themselves deeply involved in the lives of people in the town.

Things have moved on in the eight years since Vianne left. There’s quite a community of Muslims, who are involved in various feuds. A young man, who married one of the girls, is trying to insist that they should all wear the traditional veils... yet he seems quite progressive in other ways. And then there’s the woman in black, Ines, who was running a school for Muslim girls until it was burned down...

While the story is mainly written from Vianne’s perspective, there are some sections written from the point of view of Father Reynaud, her old adversary, who has been accused of arson. Both viewpoints are in the first person, and this confused me slightly at first. However, it works well, and is a clever way of giving insight into their minds, along with the growing realisation that they are not so different from each other after all.

The book is full of mysteries and questions which are gradually answered, along with some quite suspenseful plot lines which made it difficult for me to put the book down at times. As with ‘Chocolat’, there’s a mystical element running through the story but I didn't find it disturbing. Whereas some of Joanne Harris’s books have been really too dark for my taste, this one felt much lighter. There's some intriguing and sensitive commentary about both religious and cultural differences between different groups.

It’s quite a long book, over 500 pages and took me a while to get into, but the writing is excellent and I liked it very much. I would recommend reading this as a sequel to ‘Chocolat’; although it stands alone, there are references to prior events, some of which would be harder to understand without having read the first book. However, I don’t think its at all necessary to have read ‘The Lollipop Shoes’.

Recommended.

Note that this appears to have been re-named 'Peaches for Father Francis' in the American edition. This book is available on Kindle as well as in paperback.

You can also read my longer review of 'Peaches for M le Curé' at the Bookbag site.

The Furious Longing of God (by Brennan Manning)

2013-03-11T21:26:00.000+02:00

I first came across Brennan Manning a little over seven years ago, when my son gave me his classic book 'The Ragamuffin Gospel'. I found the writing powerful and moving, and since then have acquired and read others of his books.

There's a strong theme running through them all - that of the immense, tender and overwhelming love that God has for mankind. And, unsurprisingly, 'The Furious Longing of God' covers the same topic yet again.

It's a good reminder for everyone that Christianity without an awareness of God's love is meaningless, a pale imitation of what it should be. This book is short, with a few anecdotes and - as always - clear, positive writing. At the end of each chapter are a couple of points to ponder about how we love God, and there are suggestions of brief prayers, times to make ourselves open to God's love in a new way.

The author's personality type is not mine; moreover he has had a very hard life, working as a Roman Catholic priest but eventually getting married, and regularly struggling with drink problems. So the sense of God's passionate love - furious in the best sense - must be of immense reassurance to him. I am thankful, too. But I did find myself thinking, once or twice, that it was basically the same book as all the others.

Still, the message needs to be said, and probably said repeatedly in slightly different ways. I think I might have felt a tad disappointed if I had paid a lot for this, but as it was special offer to download for my Kindle (under two pounds at the time, although it is now more) I'm pleased to have it in my collection.

Generally recommended. Note that links are to the paperback editions of this book.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 11th March 2013

What Katy Did Next (by Susan Coolidge)

2013-03-09T20:26:00.000+02:00

I was six when I first heard of Susan Coolidge. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book, 'What Katy Did', although it was intended for slightly older children, and then re-read it at least two or three times during my teens, which I'm sure I understood it somewhat better. I was very pleased when I learned that there were two sequels, and read 'What Katy Did at School' more than once. A couple of years ago I downloaded them, along with this book, and two further sequels which I had not previously heard of, for my Kindle - free, as they are long out of copyright: Susan Coolidge lived and wrote at the end of the 19th century.

'What Katy Did Next' is the third in the series which features the kind and headstrong Katy. In this book, she is a calmer young woman of twenty who runs the Carr household efficiently, and is popular with the entire neighbourhood. She dreams of travelling to Europe, but her father is not wealthy and it never occurs to her that she might have an opportunity to fulfil her dreams. So she is thrilled when a rich neighbour offers to take her there as a companion, and also as extra help with the neighbour's daughter Amy.

Most of the book covers their travels by boat and train, including a brief visit to Katy's dear friend Rose Red who is now married with a delightful smiling baby. Although the book was written as contemporary fiction, it now feels like a lovely piece of social history. Katy retains her strong character and sense of justice - evident in the earlier books - alongside deep compassion and also a great sense of the ridiculous. While the characterisation is generally good, Katy stands out above the rest, possibly because she was somewhat based on the author's own personality.

There's not much plot, and the story is a bit meandering in places with a slightly intrusive author viewpoint here and there. I'm aware that this was the fashion a hundred or more years ago, but it could feel annoying to anyone who was not expecting it. I very much doubt if this would appeal to most of today's teenagers, or indeed many adults who prefer gritter, action-packed sagas. Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed re-visiting this book which I liked so much as a child.

Recommended, but best read after the first two in the series.

Note: links are to paperback editions of this book; the one at UK Amazon is of 'What Katy Did at School' as well as 'What Katy Did Next'. But they are available inexpensively or free for the Kindle.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 9th March 2013

The Ice Cream Girls (by Dorothy Koomson)

2013-03-04T22:36:00.003+02:00

I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read so far by Dorothy Koomson, so was pleased when I discovered this one on special offer (three books for £5) when we were last in the UK.

It’s taken me several months to get around to reading ‘The Ice Cream Girls’, and I just finished it last night. Wow. What a powerful book!

The story opens as Serena’s husband gets down on one knee and proposes to her. This, it seems, is something she has dreamed about for years. And no, they’re neither divorced nor separated. Their original marriage was something of a shotgun affair, rapidly followed by their first child, and now, at last, her wonderful doctor husband Evan would like to do the things properly.

We then learn that Serena has a few odd hangups. She insists on hiding the kitchen knives every night... and she has some strange memories of people cold-shouldering her.

Just when I was wondering how this all added up to the happy scenario of chapter one, the scene shifts to Poppy, who has just been released from prison where she has spent the last twenty years.

Snapshot newspaper-style cuttings tell us about the ‘ice cream girls’ Serena and Poppy who, in their mid-teens, had apparently murdered one of their school teachers. Poppy insists she is innocent... which means that Serena must in fact have been the guilty one. And Poppy is very resentful that Serena has what seems like a perfect wife, with a lovable husband and two delightful children...

The story continues switching between these two women who never much liked each other, but had a shared and horrific connection twenty years previously. There are flashbacks too, where they first meet Marcus, the history teacher who singles them out for extra tuition... which, as they gradually discover, means a lot more than just O-level history. But Marcus is not just a seducer of teenage girls, which would be bad enough (particularly as both are just 15 when they meet him)... as the story unfolds, I began to feel that either of the two girls would have been totally justified if they had, in fact, killed him.

I was afraid at one point that this novel was going to be sordid, but it never quite crossed that line. Sordidity and cruelty and worse were certainly hinted at, but the details were sparse, the descriptions left up to the imagination of the reader. The story moves slowly at first but becomes quite gripping - will Poppy and Serena meet at last as adults? Will Poppy ever be able to trust anyone? Why has Serena never told her husband about her past, and will he find out...? And who did kill Marcus - or was it a joint effort?

As with Koomson’s other novels the writing is excellent, the characterisation three-dimensional and believable, the bedroom scenes minimal and non-explicit, and the bad language not too frequent. I have to admit I did turn to the end at one point, wondering if Serena and Evan would still be together.. it meant that I saw the final denouement of the novel, the answer to some of the questions. It didn’t matter, somehow. I don’t know if I would have guessed, but I like to think I might.

There’s an afterword which explains that the author wrote this in the hope of encouraging girls caught in a similar situation to speak up, to say anything that might help them out of an abusive or otherwise toxic relationship. I don’t know if girls in such a situation would read a book like this - but I hope they might. I don’t want to think that such things are common; I certainly hope not. Marcus really is an evil person without a single redeeming feature, and it’s hard to imagine how anyone could be attracted to his lies.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 4th March 2013

The Commandments: For the Peace of Mind (by David Zephaniah)

2013-02-28T22:20:00.003+02:00

David Zephaniah is apparently quite a prolific author and blogger, but this book was so dreadful that I am not going to put any links at all in this post.

I downloaded 'The Commandments: for the peace of mind' free for my Kindle. I am very glad not to have paid anything for a book which is a total misnomer. Normally peaceful, my hackles started to rise until I abandoned the book entirely about a third of the way through. It's very rare for me to give up on a book; sometimes I will skim the second half, but this one was so bad I could not continue.

The author is Jewish, and claims to be a direct descendant of the Biblical prophet sharing his last name. That, apparently, gives him the authority to tell everyone else why he is right about life and God, and they are wrong. This book is an appallingly badly written rant, full of typos ('principals' for 'principles' kept appearing, for instance) and bad grammar even though he says that he lives - or lived - in the US.

I could cope with the bad style of writing, just about, if the content had been any good. However, it was not. It went from bad to worse until I could bear it no longer. It was unfortunate because I almost found myself wanting to reject every single thing he said, including his insistence that God created us (which I do believe).

Just one example of his bizarrely inaccurate understanding: the author insists that promiscuity, the high divorce rate and materialism in the US are entirely the result of immigration from poorer countries, rather than something inherent in western lifestyles. I have no clue how he could have come up with that idea. He also appears to believe that Israel has a perfect society - and he, of course, had a perfect childhood. He says that he does not mind what religion people follow; he doesn't even think it matters one way or another - but then points out all the worst things he has found amongst some Christians, and writes them all off as a result.

As for his comments about women... I suspect that many people would have been in danger of throwing their Kindles out of the window when they came to this section. I quote some of what he says: "physically they are cowards... stab you in the back... jealous of other people... never happy with their looks... many families have fights because of women... "!! I am no feminist and found this almost amusing, it was so bigoted and wrong - and further on he mentions that children grow up corrupt only if their mothers are corrupted. No mention of corrupt fathers...

All in all, this was so unbelievably dreadful that I could not finish it, and would not dream of linking to it.

NOT recommended under any circumstances.

Your Signature Work (by Dianna Booher)

2013-02-28T21:46:00.002+02:00

Apparently, Dianna Booher is an American expert in business practice, who has published 46 books. I had not heard of her before, and most likely would not have done so, but for one of her books appearing on one of my son's bookshelves. The cover looked interesting, and there was a quotation on the back relating to artists or performers and their autographs. So I thought I would try it.

Unfortunately, 'Your signature work' uses an extended metaphor of a basketball game to portray principles in the workplace. The author claims at the beginning that no knowledge of basketball is needed to understand it, but that was not true: I got quite bogged down at times with odd words and phrases such as 'scrimmage', 'behind the arc', or 'double dribbling'. I could undoubtedly have looked them up, had I been remotely interested in basketall: I did actually attempt to look up 'scrimmage' in both my American and my British dictionary, since the entire chapter on that topic made no sense - but neither was of any use. I didn't bother with the other mystifying terms used.

Even stranger to me was the glorification of team sports. I don't in the least mind how people choose to stay fit, and if they want to play sports - or if others want to watch them - then that's fine. But I rarely mix with people who watch sports, so the whole concept seems a little odd; I couldn't quite get my head around the idea that winning was taken so seriously in what is, essentially, just a game. Nor did I like the implication that in business there must be winners and losers. Perhaps that happens, but in a book which is supposedly Christian in ethos, it seemed very dubious ethically.

Putting the annoying basketball metaphors aside, I could not really relate to the business examples either, and unfortunately that's what the majority of the book consists of. The comment about autographs appears to be the sole reference to creative types. There's a sort of theme about one's life and work style being one's 'autograph' but that also made no sense, since a real autograph is just a stylised squiggle, not something that says anything much about a person's life or character.

By the time I was about a third of the way through, I realised that I could skip the basketball references, and skim the business sections. I kept reading because - to be fair - the structure is clear, the writing style is pretty good, and I kept thinking that eventually something new or inspiring would come up. It's not as if I disagreed with the concluding advice of each chapter, it's just that they were all such very obvious maxims. For instance, it was mentioned that one should be honest, make peace where possible, eliminate the unnecessary, admit to faults. And so on. I would be a little worried if I had reached adulthood without knowing the importance of these things.

There are - from time to time - Bible examples and passages in the book. However, rather than looking at them in any detail, the author seems to have selected ones that fit with her themes; not every chapter has one at all. They felt almost as if they were put in just to try to make a point, in a way that will irritate Christians and non-Christians alike.

I reached the end and still could not see the point. Even if I had been a fan of organised sport and had understood basketball, I cannot see how there was anything new or inspiring in this book... unless of course it's true (as was apparently implied) that most businesspeople in the US are naturally aggressive, dishonest and slow.

Really not recommended... I see it's out of print anyway, although there are inexpensive second-hand versions available (but remember that postage has to be added if you order from Amazon).

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 28th February 2013

Prune your Life to Bloom (by Roselyn Brown)

2013-02-26T21:09:00.000+02:00

I had not heard of Roselyn Brown. I can't find any record of her online, so I don't know anything about her. I only came across her book when browsing the UK Kindle store on Amazon, collecting a few that were on special offer.

'Prune your life to bloom' was available free. Always interested in this kind of self-help book, I downloaded it and forgot about it until recently when it caught my eye in the midst of my large quantity of unread Kindle books.

It's not a long book, but it's nicely laid out. It describes minimalist living, including how to determine what is clutter, both from a practical/material point of view, and also from the emotional perspective. It talks about getting rid of unessentials from our house, with a checklist of how to tell if something is clutter or not, and it also explains the importance of getting rid of emotional 'baggage' from the past.

I didn't find anything new or inspiring in this book, but that's partly because I've read so many other books and sites on the topic of clutter, and family life in general. It doesn't tell readers how to get rid of individual pieces of clutter, or even what the author considers clutter herself: instead, it recommends each person work that out for themselves.

I was impressed by the organisation and structure of this e-book, which I thought would give a useful overview for anyone to whom these are new ideas. It's a little sad that I was also the impressed by the lack of typos: rather unusual, these days, in self-published e-books.

It's not a bad book at all, although probably not something I would want to have paid for. Ideal as a quick read for for anyone wanting to understand why clutter of all kinds can be a problem, and how to get started on releasing some of it.

Unfortunately it no longer seems to be available at Amazon UK, and I am unable to link to the Amazon US version, so no links in this post.

A Generous Orthodoxy (by Brian McLaren)

2013-02-23T20:02:00.001+02:00

Brian McLaren has - probably rather to his dismay - become a highly controversial figure in some Christian circles. I first heard of him mentioned some years ago, not always positively, as one of the leaders of the ‘emerging church’ in the US. From time to time since then, I have heard people say that he was off the rails, a liberal (said in disparaging tones), that he didn’t believe in the Bible, and that he supported gay marriage.

I prefer to find out what people believe by reading some of their books, before offering any kind of opinion. I was given a link to McLaren’s blog - which I enjoyed - and recently read his pseudo-fictional trilogy beginning with 'A New Kind of Christian' in which an imaginary pastor and teacher (and others) discuss life, the world and the universe. I liked many things about these books, once I became used to the style, but the author was careful to state that while the conversations and anecdotes were based on real ones, the main character was not intended to be representative of his own opinions or beliefs.

So I finally picked up ‘A Generous Orthodoxy’, a book which had been on our shelves for a while but struck me as looking decidedly over-heavy. The subtitle alone was enough to put me off: ‘Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, ... Emergent, Unfinished Christian’. Before reading this I decided I would read GK Chesterton’s classic ‘Orthodoxy’, which in some respects was an inspiration for McLaren’s book, and found that very thought-provoking.

I still resisted reading 'A Generous Orthodoxy' for a while, then decided to read a chapter or two every day. It took me about three weeks, and was well worth reading, in my view.

It starts with a lengthy light-hearted disclaimer, and begins properly with an overview of the author's journey in faith. He begins with the flannelgraph pictures at Sunday School, goes through typical teenage doubts, then finds the 'Jesus movement' which enables him to retain his faith. He then finds what he calls different views of Jesus reflected in different Christian traditions. He begins with the Conservative Evangelical one, and moves outward, to embrace more and more viewpoints, before considering the idea of a 'generous' orthodoxy, open to all, encompassing much. He is careful to be as positive as he can about each picture of Jesus he comes across, and to emphasise that each one is just a part of the whole truth which no individual or church body can ever fully grasp.

After outlining his impressions and experiences with different flavours of Christianity, McLaren then explains why he considers himself to be missional, Biblical, Contemplative, and so on, including his understanding of more controversial terms such as Calvinist, Charismatic, and even Liberal/Conservative. It all made a lot of sense, and I found myself nodding inwardly many times. It's good stuff, based on solid Biblical foundations, infused with the wisdom of tradition - he has read widely and references extensively - and a great deal of rational thinking.

Wisely, the author does not talk about his position on current 'issues' over which the church is sadly divided, but emphasises instead the message of Jesus. He particularly talks about the importance of demonstrating God's love to the world, seeing the Kingdom of Heaven as here and now, rather than simply trying to focus on eternity as so many seem to.

There's a lot of wisdom in this book, and a great deal to think about. I would definitely recommend it, particularly for those who have already written off McLaren due to his sometimes controversial actions (albeit based on love). The style is intellectual but not as heavy as I expected, and some of the church history very interesting, alongside the author's opinions and beliefs.

Available in paperback, and also in Kindle form.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 23rd February 2013

Breathing Grace (by Harry Kraus)

2013-02-22T17:51:00.000+02:00

I had never heard of Harry Kraus. Probably I would not have done so, but for the fact that one of his e-books was on special offer last year - free for a few days - and showing quite high on the Kindle list of downloads for Christian books. He is apparently an American missionary surgeon - something which became apparent from the start of this book, and which really made me want to like it.

I often download a selection of free books for the Kindle to see what they are like; unquestionably some of them are junk. Usually, in those cases, the books are not available in any other format. However, ‘Breathing Grace’ has been available as a book for many years, and is still available in hardback.

This book is subtitled “What you need more than your next breath“, taking as its theme the idea that most Christians go through life in ‘grace deficit’. This might not threaten our physical lives as much as oxygen deficit, but it certainly affects us spiritually.

Each chapter begins with the dramatic telling of a true medical incident, most of them involving the author in some way. He gives some relevant terminology, and explains what emergency doctors and paramedics do in life-threatening situations. In particular, I learned about the essential ‘ABC’ - Airways, Breathing, Circulation - which he then translates into metaphors for the Christian life.

It’s a clever idea. The medical anecdotes are clearly written, giving a clear picture and providing a modern parable that I found tends to stick in the memory. Unfortunately, I found the latter parts of each chapter a bit too repetitive, once the initial point had been made. Yes, there are blockages to grace. Yes, we need to focus on God. Yes, we need to turn away from known sin. And so on. Grace is a powerful concept to those who are not aware of it, and certainly not something I want to take for granted. But somehow it didn’t feel to me as if there was enough real content in the book to follow the different medical dramas.

Having said that, it's true that the message of grace needs to be taught, and probably re-taught. It’s all too easy to get caught up in worldly things, or distractions of one kind or another. Perhaps the book was written for a particular time or culture - I'm not sure. But as I read - and it took me a couple of months to get through this book - it began to feel to me as if the author was proposing an ABC of turning to God, a quick-fix in an emergency situation, rather than an ongoing indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Clearly he was aware of this possible misinterpretation, since he warns against it in the final chapter; yet, the nature of the medical examples given imply, somehow, that it's only in emergencies that we need to pause and remember God - and that, having done so, we should be fine thereafter.

I don't recall finding anything that I would disagree with in this book. The theology is standard, the writing clear. But somehow I didn’t find anything new (other than the medical terminology!) or particularly inspirational either.

Still, I didn’t pay for it, and the Kindle edition of this book is inexpensive even when it’s not free, so I can’t really complain. For some, it may be a good way to think about the subject a little differently. For others, it may be new and refreshing. But if I want to read a book about grace, I would prefer to re-read Philip Yancey’s classic ‘What’s so Amazing about Grace’.

Note: the Amazon links are to the hardback version of this book. The Kindle editions, which I cannot easily link to, are a great deal less expensive - under a pound (UK) or dollar (US). Reviewers on the Amazon US site liked this book very much.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 22nd February 2013

The Westing Game (by Ellen Raskin)

2013-02-19T21:29:00.000+02:00

A friend lent me this book, as she and her teenagers had all enjoyed it very much. Apparently it’s a considered a classic children’s book in the US although I had not previously heard of it. The author, Ellen Raskin, was a writer and illustrator during the middle of the 20th century.

The Westing Game is not a long book; at under 200 pages I read it in just a few hours, over about three days. It has quite a large cast of characters, in particular sixteen apparently random people who are the ‘heirs’ of a most unusual will...

The book opens with these people being offered low rentals for apartments in ‘Sunset Towers’, a previously empty block. Barney Northrop, who sends out the offers is pretty sure that they will all accept, since their names are already printed on their mailboxes.

There’s the Wexler family: the father a mild podiatrist who has an office in the block, his wife an upwardly mobile snob. They have two daughters: the lovely Angela, engaged to a medical intern, and 13-year-old Turtle who is something of a brat. Any time anyone touches Turtle’s hair, even by accident, she kicks them on the shins.

The other family of four are Mr and Mrs Theodorakis (who barely feature) and their two sons, Theo and Chris. Chris has some kind of muscular disease that limits him to a wheelchair, and affects his speech quite badly, but he’s highly intelligent and particularly interested in birds. Theo is distinguished by being extremely nice.

Then we have the Hoo family: the father a restaurant owner (with his restaurant at the top of the tower); his wife a recent immigrant who speaks almost no English. Mr Hoo has a son, Doug, who is a talented runner.

There are also some single residents: Flora Baumbach, a gushing and elderly dressmaker, Judge Ford, a self-made woman with a keen mind; Sydelle Pulaski, who likes attention and pretends to have a limp.

This mixed bunch of people - other than Theo and Chris’s parents - along with Sandy McSouthers (doorman to the towers), Berthe Crow (cleaner in the block) and Otis Amber (62-year-old delivery man/postman) are called together, a few weeks after settling in, to learn that they are the heirs to the large fortune of Samuel Westing, an eccentric man who lived - at one point - in the nearby Westing Mansion. However, in order to inherit they have to follow some very strange rules, and solve some decidedly odd clues which, its said, will tell them who took his life.

This involves the sixteen heirs being divided into eight pairs, each given four or five printed words and told to find answers. The book then follows them all over the next few days as they discuss their clues and attempt - in various ingenious ways - to determine exactly what Westing wants of them.

So the book is - sort of - a murder mystery, in a light-hearted kind of way. But this is no Agatha Christie. There are few subtle clues dropped, and no red herrings to speak of. It’s fairly obvious that none of the pairs of participants have any idea what their words mean, and that their attempts to solve the puzzle are completely off track. I was quite pleased that I did manage to solve one part of the mystery myself, about half-way through the book, when something about the clues fell into place in my mind. I was hoping that there would be more instances of ‘aha’ moments where I could figure out something else, but that was the only one. The rest followed fairly rapidly, and there was not much that could have been worked out by readers.

The characterisation in this book isn’t great; I was surprised to find that I did manage to keep each of the sixteen main characters fairly clearly in my mind, but that’s because the author chose distinct names, characteristics and professions quite cleverly. Sydelle usually makes some reference to her crutch, Turtle to her braid, or the latest person she has kicked. I did find that Theo and Doug, the two high school seniors (sixth-formers, in UK terms) to be a bit similar, but it didn’t much matter.

As the narrative flitted rapidly from viewpoint to viewpoint, I had no difficulty remembering who was who, but did not find that I actually empathised with any of them. Perhaps the book was too short for real character development, or perhaps it wasn’t meant to be there. Agatha Christie’s books similarly tend to lack three-dimensional people, and her names and characterisitics can make it hard even to remember who is who, sometimes - but Agatha Christie was a genius at plotting. I didn’t feel the same way about Ellen Ruskin.

Still, the story flows well, and there are some mildly amusing moments, particularly during the original reading of the will. Fun to read, but not something I'm likely to read again. Probably more interesting to teens and adults in the US, as some of the references would be meaningless to anyone who had not lived there.

Available in Kindle form as well as paperback.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 19th February 2013

The Mummyfesto (by Linda Green)

2013-02-17T20:45:00.000+02:00

I hadn't come across the author Linda Green before. Perhaps I would not have done, but when browsing the shelves at The Bookbag, I thought her latest novel sounded intriguing. The Amazon synopsis said that it was about three mothers who save a school lollipop lady, then decide to stand for the next general election....

The story is indeed about three women, who meet regularly in the primary school playground. Sam has two sons: Zach, who is seven, and five-year-old Oscar. Anna has two teenagers, Will and Charlotte, and a younger daughter called Esme. Jackie just has Alice. Sadly, Oscar suffers from an incurable muscle-wasting disease, and can only move in a wheelchair. Sam and her partner Rob have to use ventilators and other machines just to keep him alive. Jackie and Anna, too, have stressful lives in variou ways.

The book begins with a typical and amusing journey to school for Sam and her sons. Then they hear that the school lollipop lady, is being made redundant. They are horrified and decide to start a petition.. which, with the help of their friends, is wildly successful. They get on the local news and start brainstorming about what they would do if they were politicians. So Sam proposes starting a new political party that puts families first.

Most of the book then follows the rapid rise of the ‘Lollipop’ party, with ideas for its 'mummyfesto' that will suit ordinary people. It's interspersed with events from family life for each of these three women.

The book starts a bit slowly, and I had a hard time distinguishing the difference voices of Anna and Jackie, although Sam stood out as different and very likeable. However, by half way through the story moves rapidly, with difficulties piling high for each family, and towards the end I had to grab a box of tissues. What happened was not unexpected, but very moving.

I do have a few small niggles with the novel. I felt as if there were rather too many important issues just touched upon, with little realistic resolution. I was a disappointed that home education was only mentioned in passing, treated as if it were a poor alternative to school rather than a positive decision. There are a few unlikely scenes and coincidences; none a problem on its own, but by the end I felt there were rather too many. I felt irritated, too, that there were a couple of unnecessary jibes at God, which were irrelevant to the story. I was also a bit disturbed by the amount of bad language in the book, which means it isn't really suitable for young people, despite the book being quite appropriate otherwise.

Still, these are minor complaints in comparison to the book as a whole. It was amusing in places, highly emotional in others, and written with a great pace. I enjoyed it very much, overall.

Definitely recommended, if you don’t mind the aforementioned niggles. Available in Kindle form as well as paperback.

You can also read my longer review of The Mummyfesto at the Bookbag site.

The Tapestry of Love (by Rosy Thornton)

2013-02-12T19:59:00.000+02:00

It's a few years since I came across Rosy Thornton; having enjoyed two of her books, I put a third on my wishlist and was delighted to receive it for Christmas.

The main character in 'The tapestry of love' is Catherine Parkstone, who is driving through hordes of sheep as this book opens. She’s desperate for some coffee, but decides that a bar of Dairy Milk will have to suffice. She glances at her watch before resigning herself to waiting... the picture is painted, vividly, of a typical British businesswoman entering a completely different culture.

We soon learn that Catherine has bought an old farmhouse in the Cevennes mountains in France. She has just emerged from a divorce, and her two young adult children are established at university and in a job. Her mother is in a pleasant nursing home, suffering with advanced Alzheimer’s Disease, and barely recognises her daughter.. so Catherine is, at last, following her dreams and moving into France, where she hopes to establish a business making curtains, furniture covers and tapestries for the locals.

The first part of the book takes us through the first months, where Catherine gets to know her neighbours, discovers what will and won’t grow, becomes more confident in her language skills, and gradually begins to feel as if she’s settling in. She finds herself quite attracted to the somewhat mysterious Patrick, one of the few of her neighbours with excellent English... then her sister Bryony arrives for a holiday, and embarks on what seems to be an affair with Patrick.

There’s not really a whole lot more plot to this gentle and enjoyable novel. Catherine is on a journey to establish a new life as an expat; having done that as a family ourselves, I could relate to her quite strongly in her struggles with bureaucracy, her frustrations about lack of time sense, and her gradual explorations beyond her own boundaries.

There are also questions of priorities - of how she relates to her children, her sister, her mother. As she goes through the different classical stages of culture adjustment ,and comes up against some apparent obstacles to her business, she has to ask herself whether or not it’s worthwhile, or whether she should cut her losses and return to the UK.

I don’t know why this book was so enjoyable; there’s more description than I am usually comfortable with, more people than I could easily remember, more detail about farm life than I find interesting. And yet, seeing everything through Catherine’s eyes (albeit in the third person) I could almost imagine her home and her environment ,and feel some of her confusion and pain when difficulties arose or people behaved out of character.

The writing is excellent, a cut above the majority of modern books, and somehow the pace is exactly right. It would not appeal to anyone who likes fast action - although there are one or two quite tense scenes - and there’s no fantasy, no crime; even the romance element is very low-key. Yet somehow it was a delightful book, and one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction.

Available on Kindle as well as in paperback.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 12th February 2013

How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk (by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish)

2013-02-10T16:24:00.002+02:00

It's many years, now, since I first heard of Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, an American writing duo who also run workshops on parenting. I expect someone recommended one of their books to me when we lived, briefly, in the US during the early 1990s when my sons were small. I know I very much enjoyed this one; the principles it put forward were some of those I believed in already, and which I had discussed with church friends at a short course we had done together. So while I liked the book, I didn't see the need to get a copy for myself...

However, when I saw 'How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk' on the Bookbag shelves, I leapt at the chance to re-read it. In doing so, I felt a touch of regret that I had not had a copy to refer to regularly when my sons were growing up.

This book aims to reverse the negative, punishment-based parenting that is so common these days. Children are seen not as problems, but as lovable small people needing a little guidance. The authors propose a new ‘language’ which begins with listening properly, helping children to deal with their feelings by encouraging them to name their fears - or anger - by observation, gentle discussion, and acceptance.

The next chapter is about encouraging co-operation. Parents are told not to demand, accuse, threaten or bribe their children, but to express a problem in neutral terms: ‘the milk is spilled; we need a cloth.’ Different techniques are advised, depending on circumstances. Far too many adults get caught up in trying to control rather than co-operate, and nagging rather than finding appropriate ways to communicate their wishes.

Further chapters include topics such as encouraging autonomy, finding alternatives to punishment, offering encouraging praise, and freeing children from roles: positive ones as well as negative name-calling.

Each chapter describes typical scenarios, then proposes alternative ways to deal with them. Towards the end of each chapter there’s a section with exercises for parents to try during the week, encouraging them to observe the ways they interact with their children. This is followed by examples from workshops which are easily recognisable, and mostly reassuring.

This 30th anniversary edition has been expanded, including a section written by the daughter of one of the authors, recounting some of the frustrations she had with her own children. The non-coercive, language of communicating came naturally to her, but it didn’t turn her children into angels, nor did it mean that she always made the right responses. Her account is amusing in places, and very encouraging.

My own experience in the past suggests that, while it’s not easy to adopt all the principles, they do work eventually. I made plenty of mistakes, but as the authors point out, there are always second chance with children.

Very highly recommended indeed.

You can also read my somewhat longer review of 'How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk' at The Bookbag.

Amazing Love (by Corrie ten Boom)

2013-01-29T19:55:00.000+02:00

We have several books on our 'Christian' shelves which have appeared, so it seems without our having any idea where they came from. Perhaps they originally belonged to the people who rented our UK house. Or perhaps we picked them up in a jumble sale.

'Amazing Love' is one such book. Corrie ten Boom, who wrote it, was an amazing woman of courage who was born at the end of the 19th century. She survived concentration camps during World War I, saw her beloved sister die, and then spent her later years bringing the good news of Jesus to people all around the world, including some of her former captors.

This book contains a series of anecdotes which Corrie ten Boom described, perhaps originally in a journal, after talks she had given, or people she had met, when the discussion turned to the love of God. The stories are positive, and the experiences must have been powerful at the time, but unfortunately the writing is somewhat stilted and there's not enough detail to make them particularly interesting. Perhaps they lost something in the translation - or perhaps it's inevitable, when each anecdote introduces a new person or people.

There does not seem to be any particular organisation to the book, unless I am missing something. Each 'chapter' describes a single anecdote and is just two or three pages,; mostly they are unconnected. If they are chronological, as would be logical, it's not obvious.

It was encouraging to read over a few days, on the whole. It's not a long book (just over 100 pages in all) - but I would not particularly recommend it, other than to people eager to read more about the author. I have huge admiration for Corrie ten Boom, who is probably best known for her autobiographical book 'The Hiding Place', but would suggest that rather than this for anyone wanting to know more about her.

For anyone wanting to get hold of 'Amazing Love', it is still in print, and is also now available in Kindle form in both the UK and US.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, January 29th 2013

The Last Word and the Word After That (by Brian McLaren)

2013-01-25T22:02:00.002+02:00

Having read and been very challenged by the first two books in Brian McLaren's 'creative non-fiction' trilogy ('A new kind of Christian' and 'The story we find ourselves in') I bought the final one in December, and have just finished reading it.

Wow.

'The last word and the word after that' contains some highly controversial questions and discussions, and yet at the same time I found it both challenging personally and oddly reassuring.

In his slightly strange 'creative non-fiction' style, McLaren gently introduces doubts about the conservative evangelical viewpoint of hell. This starts in the first chapter, when Dan - a pastor, currently on paid leave from his church - has a call from his student daughter Jess who is expressing some serious doubts about her faith. She says the kind of thing that many of us have puzzled about over the years. How can God, who loves us, send even the worst of sinners to eternal torment; let alone our ordinary, likeable friends and relatives who just don't happen to be believers?

This starts a series of conversations Dan has with his Jamaican friend Neil (who no longer wishes to be known as Neo) and a host of others who are at different places along the same kind of questioning, emergent church road. There are some fascinating insights into church history, showing Jesus's talk about 'Gehenna' and fires of judgement in the context of the time, and looking at how different church leaders have interpreted and understood theories about life after death over the centuries.

I'm not sure if McLaren himself takes a clear viewpoint on this issue, which is perhaps why he introduces a whole host of different characters, who discuss the history and theology of hell from a variety of perspectives. There are many references to Scripture, which can easily be checked, and quotations from some of the great Christian thinkers of the 20th century: notably CS Lewis, NT Wright, Lesslie Newbigin, and even John Stott.

I found it quite challenging intellectually in places, and also extremely thought-provoking. I did like the fact that, even within the fictional shell, there's room for disagreement. At one point Dan bemoans the fact that if he figures out how to help his daughter Jess in her understanding, he will upset his wife Carol, who continues in a fairly conservative exclusivist viewpoint.

From a fiction point of view it's quite thin: the characters are not particularly well-developed, the dialogue sometimes a bit forced, and more often than not takes the form of lengthy monologues. But I still like that better than more directive teaching, and on this particular topic, where many possibilities are being explored, it works well to have variations on the theme in the words of different people.

The end of the first part of the book was a bit sudden and not very realistic - the church comes to a policy about Dan, and suddenly everything is sorted out. However, the second part of the book is perhaps the most important. Putting aside temporarily, the ideas about hell, Dan is introduced to Neo's 'knowing community': a small group of hand-picked people who learn together, asking each other significant questions each year about their faith, their feelings and their future plans. The emphasis is on caring for and supporting each other in their dreams, with complete freedom to be themselves.

Whatever the truth - or otherwise - of hell, many excellent points are made about the importance of living for Christ, of caring about justice on earth, of showing love and kindness to all. I gather that in McLaren's world too many Christians come across as angry and judgemental, almost seeming to rejoice in the idea of the condemnation of the unsaved. While people of that persuasion would probably consider this book heretical, it's important that those of us who tend towards the more inclusivist viewpoints should not judge or condemn those who are more conservative in their views.

There is powerful, sometimes overwhelming writing in this book, leaving open as many questions as it answers. As a novel it's not great; the fiction part is, as with the other books in the trilogy, fairly lightweight; it's a vehicle for the theology and history than anything else. Yet, somehow it works and leads to a very readable book. It's not necessary to have read the others in the trilogy, although it may make more sense of the storyline to have done so.

Very highly recommended.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 25th January 2013