Our Library

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

2013-01-07T00:02:11Z

Synopsis (from book cover):

It’s 1928, Freddie Watson is still grieving for his brother, lost in the Great War. Driving through the foothills of the French Pyrenees, his car spins off the road in a snowstorm. Freddie takes refuge in an isolated village and there meets a beautiful, captivating woman. They spend the night talking of love and loss and war. But by daybreak, Fabrissa has vanished and Freddie realises he holds the key to an ancient mystery that leads him deep into the mountains, to a cave that has concealed an appalling secret for 700 years…

Review:

I found this book by chance when I was looking for different book to read over the Christmas period. I am glad I did, it is the perfect time of year for a Christmas ghost story. The main character Freddie, is well drawn and the reader can feel the hurt and grief that he has been left with since the loss of his brother who declared missing in action during the war.

After a bout of illness a doctor suggests that Freddie tour the castles and ruins of Ariege to recover his shattered nerves. The descriptions of the Pyrenees transported me there, especially as I had traveled near that area earlier this year. Freddie starts to hear whispering in the hills and following a car crash this leads him on and unexpected journey and discovery.

I found the book a fun light read with interesting characters and setting.

PS: The book I had intended to read over Christmas turned up today. It wasn’t where I thought I had left it…

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

2012-11-19T16:22:06Z

Publisher's Summary

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn't seen or heard from in 20 years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.

Harold pens a quick reply and, leaving Maureen to her chores, heads to the corner mailbox. But then, as happens in the very best works of fiction, Harold has a chance encounter, one that convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. And thus begins the unlikely pilgrimage at the heart of Rachel Joyce's remarkable debut. Harold Fry is determined to walk 600 miles from Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed because, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie Hennessey will live.

Still in his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold embarks on his urgent quest across the countryside. Along the way he meets one fascinating character after another, each of whom unlocks his long-dormant spirit and sense of promise. Memories of his first dance with Maureen, his wedding day, his joy in fatherhood, come rushing back to him - allowing him to also reconcile the losses and the regrets. As for Maureen, she finds herself missing Harold for the first time in years.

And then there is the unfinished business with Queenie Hennessy.

A novel of unsentimental charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise - and utterly irresistible - storyteller.

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Elena's BRIEF REVIEW:

I adore audiobooks. They allow me to reduce my eyestrain and to enjoy like a small child, the delight of listening to a story. It also allows me to work as I listen, like a grown up;) Of course, a good narrator makes a huge difference in the enjoyability of a book. This narrator does a wonderful job telling the story of Harold Fry. In fact he brings a kindness to the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the ordinariness of the characters;feet of clay, with varied perceptions, but with understandable intentions.

Both the writing and performance capture small details in such an understated style that a second listen would remain a rich experience.

I've just finished listening, and I'm still enjoying that wonderful afterglow of a good story, well told.

The Morville Year by Katherine Swift

2012-11-16T23:38:55Z

Synopsis (from book cover):

Now Katherine Swift, one of the most acclaimed gardening writers of her generation, takes a fresh look at the garden she created over twenty years in the grounds of Dower House at Morville, meditating on everything from the terrain and its history, to the plants and trees, and the odd habits of the animals and humans who inhabit the garden.

Is everything in the landscape older than you think? Might a flower in your hat change your life? Can cats and cardoons cohabit? These are just some of the topics that Katherine Swift considers in this enchanting companion volume to The Morville Hours.

With specially commissioned colour photographs of the garden by Jane Sebire and line drawing by Dawn Burford, the book follows the turning wheel of the Morville seasons, from the green shoots of spring, through summer and autumn, to the stark beauty of winter, and back to spring again. It is a journal full of surprises and enchantments that will appeal not only to gardeners, but to all who enjoy the natural world.

Review:
This book follows on from Katherine’s very successful book The Morville Hours and is once again the book is elegantly written. The chapters in the book consist of articles from the column she wrote for the Sunday Times when she was their gardening correspondent between December 2001 and July 2005.

Katherine talks about her day to day musings as she tends to her garden throughout the year. It covers the things that that worked out well in the garden, some happy accidents and future possibilities for the various garden rooms. It is however much more than a gardening book, covering diverse subjects such as astronomy, bees, the Morville cats, past American Presidents and other historical figures. In one chapter she muses about time and the use of a garden tree to construct a sundial within a turf maze and how it was ‘initially’ in time with the church clock.

Amongst the things I learned are that there are eleven thousand species of moss worldwide, that lichens are not one organism but two living in symbiosis and that bees do not hibernate over the winter, they are in perpetual motion and continually beating their wings to keep warm.

As with the The Morville Hours it is a book that I will read again and also dip into from time to time. I am looking forward to her next book which is provisionally entitled ‘A Rose for Morville’. I am also reminded that I must visit the garden, living in Shropshire I don’t really have an excuse not to.

Quiet - The Power of Intoverts

2012-11-16T17:11:56Z

Summary:

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.

Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

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I couldn't put this book down. I downloaded and listened to it on my ipod..I read it..and then I listened to it once and again. It's given me the answers to so many questions about myself...and confirmed and affirmed that I'm not alone..and that - perhaps - I'm even 'normal'. A must-read for any and all of us who thrive in the space of 'quiet'.

The Buddha in the Attic

2012-08-16T16:42:09Z

Summary:

A novel that tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as “picture brides” nearly a century ago.

In eight incantatory sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the picture brides’ extraordinary lives, from their arduous journey by boat, where they exchange photographs of their husbands, imagining uncertain futures in an unknown land; to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; to their backbreaking work picking fruit in the fields and scrubbing the floors of white women; to their struggles to master a new language and a new culture; to their experiences in childbirth, and then as mothers, raising children who will ultimately reject their heritage and their history; to the deracinating arrival of war.

In language that has the force and the fury of poetry, Julie Otsuka has written a singularly spellbinding novel about the American dream.

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It's a quick read...but one that is so compelling that it makes it impossible to put down in the middle. It's written in a very unique style in the voice of the collective 'we'. An embarassing part of US history that is somehow buried in its past.

The War of Art

2012-08-16T16:33:31Z

Summary:

What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself.

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I absolutely loved this book. Not only a 'must-read' for each and every 'creative' out there...but for every single one of us who has met up with and experienced resistance and fear in any of their life's endeavors.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Discussion

2012-04-05T11:51:40Z

1. So, my first question has to be, did you cry at the end? Were you surprised? Shocked?

2. Did you struggle with the beginning? And if so, did you feel that it was worth it once you got past the first few chapters? Do you think this might have had anything to do with the translation?

3. Did you find the characters likeable? Lovable?

4. Do you think Paloma's feelings were true, that we compromise the best parts of who we are as we become adults?

5. Someone I talked to about this book said it was filled with profound, but adolescent, philosophy. Do you agree? Do you feel that the philosophies woven throughout added to or detracted from the story?

6. Do you think the main point of the story is the wisdom of age that we pass down to our youth, or the fact that there are times when, indeed, love does conquer all? Both? Or something entirely different?

7. Do you think the book has a message?

8. Did you feel that the romance between Renée and Kakuro was real-to-life, or a bit too fairy tale? Does it matter?

9. What role did the nationalities of the main characters play in the book? Do you think it would have been different if they were American, or some other nationality? Do we automatically assign a certain romanticism to certain nationalities?

10. Did you feel like the characters were over-stereotyped? Do you think this was a useful tool in the telling of the story? Or did you feel they were not stereotyped at all?

11. Did you find any answers about the meaning of life within the story? Or did it raise more questions?

12. Sometimes, you read a book and you know immediately that in some small way, your life has been changed. Did you feel that way about this book?

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

2012-03-02T18:15:35Z

So it seems that it is time for a new selection for our book club here, and I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite books from the past year, Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog.

This is what the Barnes and Noble site had to say about it, and I think it sums the book up quite well:

"An enchanting New York Times and international bestseller and award-winner about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.

Renée Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior (“short, ugly, and plump”) and demeanor (“poor, discreet, and insignificant”) belie her keen, questing mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday.

Both Renée and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them, until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that haunts Renée, winning Paloma's trust, and helping the two discover their kindred souls. Moving, funny, tender, and triumphant, Barbery's novel exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us."

Hedgehog is a very quiet, sublime book that winds its way into your heart slowly. It's not a thriller or an adventure, but rather a reflection on life. It took me the first few chapters to really get into it, but once I did, I didn't want to stop reading. And I haven't stopped missing it since I finished.

To me, that is the sign of a good book.

I hope you will enjoy reading it as well.

We will plan to start discussing this around April 1st.

See you then!

The witch of Portobello - discussion

2012-02-28T12:40:24Z

Hi ladies are you done with your books?

I have a few things to start off the discussion. I found these questions on litlovers.com

1. Athena was certainly provocative. How do you view her—as an inspiried spiritual teacher or as a manipulative opportunist? Or something else? Do you believe her gifts of sight are genuine?

2. Discuss the world of magic versus the world of science or rationality—especially the belief held by many that, as Heron Ryan puts it, "anything science cannot explain has no right to exist." Where do you stand on this?

3. Has the idea of "witch" changed at all today from when it was used to persecute women during the medieval and up through the early modern ages?

4. What does it mean that we are victims of the realities we create?

5. To what extent did Athena seek out her death?

6. Is the world of sight, sound, and touch—the rational world —sufficient for you? Or do you seek another kind of reality, the one, perhaps, that Athena offered?

7. Of those interviewed for this book, whose voice do you trust the most? Who do you identify with the most? Dislike the most?

8. Would Athena's life have been more meaningful, more useful, if she had, as Andrea McCain suggests, joined a convent and devoted herself to a life of service to the poor?

Feel free to join in the discussion.

Paulo Coelho - The Witch Of Portobello

2012-01-15T12:00:00Z

Paulo Coelho - The Witch Of Portobello
/ Die Hexe von Portobello/ Čarovnica iz Portobello/ La strega di Portobello/ La Sorcière de Portobello/ แม่มดจาก Portobello

First published in 2007

This is what is said about the book on wiki.

As the book begins, Athena is dead. How she ended up that way creates the intrigue sustaining the book. The child, Sherine Khalil renames herself Athena. As a child, she shows a strong religious vocation and reports seeing angels and saints, which both impresses and worries her parents.

She grows into a woman in search of answers to many questions that arise within a person. She has a contented life but her mind is not at ease. So she sets out to find answers to the classical question of "Who am I?" through many experiences. In her quest, she opens her heart to intoxicating powers and becomes a controversial spiritual leader in London.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it and that we can discuss more after finishing the book. We were thinking of a monthly rotation and as we already have mid January I think it's apropriate to say that the next book will be presented March 1st.

Do you think that is okay?