A Trail of Blood

Set during the reign of Henry VIII, this is a story that seeks to explain the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. The two princes, Edward and Richard, went to live in the Tower of London when their father, Edward IV, died. For whatever reason the crowning of their uncle as regent was postponed. Finally the uncle was crowned Richard III. His Tudor successors later claimed that he had murdered the princes in order to ascend to the throne. There has never been any conclusive proof regarding what happened to the two princes.

This novel claims that the reason the coronation of Richard as regent was postponed was because the two princes (and consequently their sister, the mother of Henry VIII) were found to be illegitimate. Richard III kept the boys in the Tower to protect them, as he had sworn to do. The story explains why they felt the need to escape and how Edward was killed in the attempt. The rest of the novel is spent uncovering the movement and final location (really quite obvious from the beginning) of Richard, Duke of York.

The aim of the protagonists is to unearth a Yorkist claimant to the throne, ostensibly to succeed Henry VIII (who had no son at the time) but really to put an end to the Reformation and what they saw as a corrupt regime with dubious claims to royalty. The aim of the author is to solve the mystery in as plausible a manner as possible. I think he succeeds, though some of the events and coincidences are a little far-fetched. I'm interested in finding more by the author, particularly the non-fiction related to this period.

The Screwtape Letters

This was a most amusing book that manages to make you laugh and think at the same time. I felt very sorry for poor Wormwood, though I didn't need Screwtape to tell me he was seriously screwing up. I'm tempted to say that the last letter in the book was the best of the lot.

Though I don't believe in demons or devils or whatever it is that they're supposed to be, I find myself questioned my motivations more now than I did before. As much as this is a work of fiction there is a certain amount of truth underneath, as in all CS Lewis's work.

Highly recommended.

Fatherland

This was not quite what I was expecting from a 'Hitler won the war' novel. It's a detective story, and a very good one at that, with Hitler's Final Solution (the complete extermination of the Jews) at its centre. I was expecting something along the lines of what it would have been like for a variety of people living in such a world, which would really amount to short stories. What I got was the story of a man with doubts about the whole thing finding out what kind of world he lived in.

I would have been interested in an exploration of how it affected the US and the UK, as well as other places. Particularly given the map at the front of the book that showed western Europe as not being part of the Greater German Empire. I was impressed by the use made of the son, though I did find the ending a little unsatisfying. I should have liked an epilogue that told the story of what happened afterwards, once the report was out.

I found the use of President Kennedy for the US president rather confusing. At first I thought it meant JFK hadn't been assassinated, then I realised it was only 1964. Then I found it wasn't JFK at all, but some other Kennedy. This apparent supporter of Hitler had been the US ambassador to Britain during WWII. I'd like to find out more about him, if he was a real person (and wikipedia says he is).

The plot as a whole - Heydrich cleaning up those who know about the Final Solution once it had been done - was certainly plausible. I've always wondered (well, ever since I've known) why Hitler never put the orders in writing or put his name to them. Some argue he didn't know about it, which I think is completely implausible. Here, the suggestion is that even he found it barbaric, which I think is the most unlikely statement in the book. If Hitler found the wholesale slaughter of people barbaric it would never have happened. Of course, the fact that those slaughtered were considered less than people probably made it easier for those responsible. It still doesn't answer the question of why the order was not given in writing with Hitler's signature at the bottom.

The Wind in the Willows

For some reason I never read this as a child. I think that if I had I would've enjoyed it a lot more. I found it very difficult to enjoy this simply because it makes no sense in so many ways. Animals seem to co-exist peacefully with each other, regardless of food preferences, which is something that I'm willing to forgive. That's pretty much a requirement for this kind of story. Where I lose the suspension of disbelief is where you suddenly get an interaction with humans - not only is the toad put in jail, but he is of the right size to disguise himself as an adult human. I can only think with horror of a toad that size.

All in all, I have to say that this was disappointing in many ways and I really do wish that I'd read it as a child so that I would have the memory of it to help sustain my suspension of disbelief.

Seven Cities of Gold

I borrowed this from Confluence recently. It's a beautifully written book with a lyrical quality that one doesn't often find in prose.

I jumped straight in to the story, skipping the explanatory note at the beginning. Possibly I would have found the story easier to understand in terms of geopolitical stuff if I had read it first. Also, I would have liked for this book to have had a map so that I had a clearer idea of the geography and whereabouts events were taking place. As it is I found the story fairly easy to follow without it, though there were a number of questions I had.

This is not the sort of book that ties everything up neatly for the reader. This is the sort of book that leaves you with questions. Nagging thoughts that simmer in the back of your brain as you try to work out just what exactly it is that things are supposed to mean and whether or not you got all the nuances that you were supposed to.

If you don't like to think about things, especially those complicated things that make people uncomfortable, then this is not a book you should read.

The Two Towers

I love this book. It's my favourite part (I know, I said the same about Fellowship and I'll probably say it again for RotK). One of the most interesting things about it is, in the words of a truly awful song, 'there's no beginning, there'll be no end' ('Love is All Around' by Wet Wet Wet, if you're wondering). This is the middle of the story and there is no real beginning and no real end - those are in the other books. This dives right in to the adventure and makes no attempt to tie the ends off. It does, in fact, end off on a cliffhanger.

I am particularly fond of the last chapter, The Choices of Master Samwise. It's such a fascinating insight into the relationship between Sam and Frodo from Sam's perspective. It's also interesting to see the way in which Sam considers his choices and eventually decides what it is that he's supposed to do. There's something poignant about the whole chapter, as Sam grieves and then finds his strength. His confusion is so real and the whole section is incredibly moving.

I'm also extremely fond of anything that involves Eowyn. She's the single major female character in the entire volume. I love Eowyn. She loves and she despairs. She's bound by the culture and the time period in which she lives and yet she manages still to be headstrong and independent. I love watching her character develop. Even though, in this book, one merely glimpses her a few times, one can feel her strength and her desperation behind the scenes and from what people say about her. At least, I think you can, I may be projecting because I've read it so many times I know the characters better than I know myself.

Of course, the heroes of Gondor and Rohan appear here for the first time. Faramir and Eomer. Both are honest, law-abiding men. And yet they're not afraid to bend the laws of their countries (and, really, as heir-apparent in both cases they're probably two of the few who can). These are strong, confident men who trust in their judgement. They believe that they can tell the truth of your intentions and what is best and right to do. They will not take the easy path. They will always do what they believe is right. These are the kind of men that you want to have as your leaders.

My extra super favouritest thing about this book? Merry and Pippin in Fangorn Forest with the ents. I love Treebeard's speeches. I love the contrast of the tiny, quick hobbits with the enormous, deliberating ents. I love love love the scene where the party from Helm's Deep arrives on the edge of the ruin of Isengard and is greeted by the hobbits. The reaction of the Fellowship members and Theoden, with Gandalf amused in the background is something that I read two or three times every time.

I could probably write a ten page essay on the things I love about this book, but I won't. I'll just leave you with the highlights.

The Secret

Another book I was paid to read. I approached this one with reluctance and an immense amount of scepticism. This book is a treatise on positive thinking. It takes the common practice of affirmations to an extreme. There's not a whole lot I can disagree with here (if you think of happy things, you'll be happy, if you don't you won't), but then, there's not a whole lot to this.

At first glance, this doesn't seem so bad. But you need to consider the flipside of all this positive thinking. If anything bad or unpleasant happens to you, it's all your fault. You weren't thinking positively enough. If you are attacked and nearly killed, well you shouldn't have been so fearful. You attracted that attack. Got cancer? All the result of negative thinking. Been fired? You were too worried about losing your job. This is not only a treatise on positive thinking, it's a treatise on blaming the victim. Positive thinking is one thing, but one needs to understand that there are forces beyond an individual's control. Other people, for a start.

The Celestine Prophecy

I am not providing a link, nor a picture for this 'book'. I don't know which moron published this crap, but you shouldn't give them any of your money. I don't know how this managed to become a bestseller, but can only assume the fault of gullible people who can't actually read. You might think I'm being overly harsh. In which case I suggest you try to read this nonsense yourself. Thankfully my library is smart enough to shelve it with novels (not in the fantasy section [or, even better, the bin], where it belongs) and not the self-help/mystical stuff section. This is a badly written excuse for a sort of new age religious type movement masquerading (and not very well at that) as an adventure/spy story.

I foresee more of this crap in my future, but at least I'm getting paid for it. If you're not, don't read this.

The Alchemist

This is a book that I'm being paid to read and summarise. This is not a book that I would have chosen to read all by myself. I dislike allegory and I particularly dislike spiritual allegory. I've always considered it rather insulting, rather like saying "Well, you'll never understand this, so let me dumb it down for you."

This is the story of a shepherd boy and his 'Personal Legend'. Basically, what this book seems to be saying is that if you follow your intuition and behave in an extremely superstitious manner all your dreams will come true. None of which I believe. I do believe that you must be prepared to take detours and so on while trying to reach your goals. Of course, I also believe that you should make decisions based both on rationality and on your own desire. I do not believe that you should allow anyone (regardless of who they might be) to dictate your life to you.

The one message of this book that I do like is the one that says: you will not be a fulfilled person if you do not make every effort to follow your dreams. That is something I can agree with.

The Fellowship of the Ring

I just finished rereading FotR in my annual(ish) reread of LotR. I finished it in the bath, actually, an incredible feat given that our water was mysteriously switched off this afternoon and was disgustingly muddy when it finally came back on.

I must say that this is, in many ways, my favourite volume in the series (though I'll probably say that about them all). While I'm all for considering the entire work as a whole, as I understand Tolkien did, they are divided into the three volumes and I've already considered the work as a whole.

I love this volume. I love the descriptions of the landscapes. I love the hobbits. I am a hobbit in many ways (though I do wish I could enjoy both cooking and gardening in a slightly more balanced, continuous way, rather than the off-and-on way I do now). I would probably fit in very well at Rivendell as well, devouring all those stories (I sometimes see myself as Sam, being tutored by Bilbo and getting completely wrapped up in tales), though no one would ever mistake me for an elf.

I find many parts of the book beautiful, occasionally sad and frequently wistful. There's an autumnal quality to this first volume, particularly as you enter into Book II with the death of Gandalf, the twilight nature of Lothlorien (don't ask me to explain that, because I can't) and the eventual breaking of the fellowship. It really does seem to be the ending of an Age (and, really, it is the beginning of the end of the Third Age of Middle Earth) and that is probably why I always turn back to it in Autumn.

This is probably the volume I reread most, particularly the beginning (except for the Tom Bombadil chapters, which I frequently thoroughly despise and skip without reservation) with the apparently idyllic Shire (how I'd love to live there) and the adventure and excitement of setting out - both on a perfectly lovely walking trip and on an Adventure. It appeals to me in every respect. If only dear old Carolyn Stewart (whatever happened to her?) had given me this instead of The Hobbit, I'd have been happier and Tolkienified (I just made that up, can you tell?) much earlier. I particularly enjoy rereading this after watching the movie (definitely my favourite of the three, almost without comparison [I'm very attached to the sections on Rohan in TTT movie]) as the depth and intricacy is so much clearer after that pale reflection.

Harry Potter

Ah, Harry Potter. It had to happen eventually. I own all seven books, I have read them all and I occasionally reread them. The first one I read was Goblet of Fire, the fourth book. I was working/volunteering at a convent school in England. The book was lying in the senior common room, so I picked it up and read it. It was a good book. When I came home, I went about purchasing and reading the rest of them.

This is a good series. It's fun, mostly well-written and full of glorious details. The books centre around Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, and his experiences at wizarding school. Though, really, if any of you don't actually know this I'd be very surprised.

The earlier books are much better than the later ones, in my personal opinion. The earlier books are very much school stories with, of course, the obligatory adventure at the end. My favourite of these is Prisoner of Azkaban, though I am very fond of Chamber of Secrets as well. The later books are far more action-oriented - they are far more in the adventure style than in the school style. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but the books lengthen and the plots suffer for it. It's hard to pick a favourite here, but I'd go for either Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix. Phoenix does have the problem of making me cringe, but then Goblet of Fire has the problem of Hermione looking drastically different in the same way that no-one recognises Superman when he puts on different clothes and glasses. It's ridiculous. There are increasing plot-holes and bad characterisation as the series goes on.

I'm not going to detail my every objection to the series, but Rowling needs some practice at writing believable teenage romance and angst. She could also have used a better, less star-struck editor who was capable of spotting the glaring errors and fixing them. I cannot complain too much though, given the horrific editing of some of my favourite books (here including Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie, but not Tolkien). I will, however, complain about the way that she 'develops' her characters. They not only grow, they regress. Now, while I grant that there is some cause for some of this, occasionally she just takes a character and disregards their entire personality and turns them into someone else with the same name (and yes, I'm thinking particularly of Cho here). I also think that a few of her supporting characters are a little too two-dimensional and could have been far better developed, considering the length of time she had to develop them in all the enormous tomes she wrote.

I don't think very much of the movies, but that's mostly because of the way that they deviate from the books. The errors that the books make are bad enough - there is no need to compound them by making even worse errors in the movies. They did, in my opinion, have very good casting for the most part.

And, a word about the covers. I for one like the majority of the covers. There is only one I object to and that's the one for Deathly Hallows. The artwork seems out of character with the rest in the sequence. I would have much preferred for all the artwork to have been done by one artist, preferably one of the ones that did Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. I do not like the covers by the artist who did the ones in the Afrikaans translation (and possibly the books that were published in the States? It's hard to tell). There are also the 'adult' covers. Entirely unnecessary in my opinion, but some people are weird about their book covers. I personally don't usually care too much about the cover (except when it comes to my Enid Blytons' - I don't want the covers to be too modern 'cause those covers tend to be awful).

Anyway, if you haven't read these, you probably should.

Mundo and the Weather-Child

There's a beautiful rainbow in front of Table Mountain this morning - the other end is going over Lion's Rump and I could see it from the bedroom. I'm not sure whether or not it's going to rain again today, though.

Anyway, this is a wonderful book - another coming-of-age story, there seems to be almost nothing but those around - about a boy who moves to a new house with his family. As you can imagine, he doesn't like this and wants to go 'home'. This house has a big rambling garden, which Edmund does not like. Come winter, he can't hear anything, except the mysterious child in the garden that he makes friends with. This is a beautifully written whimsical book that you should all read.

Peter Pan

When I was little I had a big yellow (Disney) picture book telling this story. I remember it fondly. And, I will say only this: if you have fond memories of the story from your childhood, do not ruin them by actually reading the book. The book itself is dreadful. There are only two decent characters in it: Tootles (a Lost Boy) and Liza (the Darling's maid). The narrator is irritating and ingratiating. The Darlings are ridiculous. The children are spoilt and horrible. Peter Pan is the worst of the lot. Tinker Bell is an awful example of fairies. The 'Picaninny' tribe of 'Red Indians' is the most offensive characterisation in the book. The pirates are ridiculous, with Captain Hook the most foppish dandy that ever led a group of cutthroats. The prose is ridiculous and... well... words cannot describe how disappointed I was by the reality of this book.

Do yourself a favour, remember this story fondly and do not read the book.

The Wind Eye

This is a great book about a long dead saint and his interactions with a modern day 'blended' family. I do loathe that term. Family is family - regardless of how many mothers and fathers and children there are (or aren't). Anyway, this family has a fairly long journey to go in learning to love each other and get along with each other. It takes a couple of miracles and supernatural experiences for it to happen, but eventually they're ready to devote their lives to the 'family business' as it were. Leaving behind devoted (if dogged) scientific scepticism aside. Although, to be fair, one can only judge the world through one's experiences and given the experiences related I too would abandon certain ideas I hold about the world. Of course, I wouldn't be quite so closed-minded (as the father) in the first place.

Anyway, this is a fun read and well worth it.

The Silmarillion

The first couple of times I (tried to) read this, I was unable to finish it. It's a dense book full of strange names and places and relationships. This is (part of) the history of the elves of Middle Earth. I knew that one day I would make it all the way through, so I bought myself a copy and, when the next Tolkien-phase struck, I delved in. I was obviously of the right frame of mind this time. I made it all the way through and absolutely loved it.

Suddenly, all the weird names and their relationships to each other made sense. I haven't read it nearly as many times as LotR (or even the Hobbit), but it's definitely one I'd read again. This, however, is not a lazy afternoon read. The Silmarillion requires the use of a fair amount of brain power to keep track of who everyone is and why you care about them. It's a fascinating story and an essential read for anyone with an interest in Middle Earth.

The Story Giant

This I picked up at an Exclusive Books sale, because it looked like great fun. I was right. This is a lovely book for children, particularly for reading to younger children. It's well illustrated and filled with various tales from around the world.

I really don't know what to say about this, beyond: buy it and read it to your children or grandchildren, nephews or nieces or cousins. It's a wonderful book.

The Hobbit

This was my introduction to Tolkien, sometime in primary school. Wandering about the library, one of the student-librarians (Carolyn Stewart for those of you who would know her) suggested I try this. I'm not sure I made it past the first paragraph. I know I didn't make it past the first page. To this day, I still rather dislike the Hobbit.

I've read this book a few times and, like most things, familiarity is tending to make it more and more preferred. It's well-written, a good story, lots of fun and interesting. I'm a rereader. Thankfully I read fast enough that I can reread many books as well as reading many new books. I reread LotR once a year. I reread a fair amount of Enid Blyton and other favourites (Stephanie Plum, In Death, Cadfael Chronicles, etc) every year. Sometimes more often. This book, however, I reread about once every five years. For some reason I just don't enjoy it that much. There's no good reason for it, it's just one of those quirks. I suspect that at least part of my dislike stems from the fact that the narrative is weighted heavily towards the dwarves and Bilbo - the anthropologist in me wants more variety to study.

It's still a book to be recommended. It's just not one I particularly enjoy most of the time.
[On a side note, I had to sift through ten pages of google images to find a picture of the cover I have.]

The Lord of the Rings

It's that time of year again. For some reason my thoughts turn towards this book every year around Autumn. Rather like Frodo contemplating adventuring out of the Shire every Autumn. I imagine that LotR is my mental equivalent of comfort food, in somewhat the same way as Enid Blyton is. Also, as I said somewhere previously, I'm somewhat obsessional and my obsessions tend to be cyclical, so I go through a LotR phase every now and then.

My first experience of Tolkien was not a good one. Some years later I was told to read LotR by my Dad, and I did. I loved it. There were some bits that dragged (there still are, but I've read every word multiple times and have no issues with skipping entire chapters if I feel like it), but most of it was phenomenal. I love this book. Until the last few years, I lived at home and read my Dad's copy. Then I moved out. I had no LotR of my own. I was given a beautiful 50th Anniversary edition one year. It's gorgeous. I adore this book. The cover is soft, it has a little box, the edges of the pages are shiny gold, like in very old books and there's a little red ribbon to mark your place. The maps are fantastic, in black and red and there are some images in the book of the pages of the Book of Mazarbul (from the Chamber of Records in Moria). I also have a copy of Two Towers illustrated by Alan Lee. I'd like individual illustrated copies of Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King as well (by John Howe, preferably, but I'll take Alan Lee as well) - this is a book I like to read in the bath and my single volume is too unwieldy and precious for that.

I like to watch the movies too, despite the many and varied objections I have to it (not the least of which is our missing 2nd half of the Two Towers Extended Edition). It's a fun romp through a book that tugs at the heart strings and evokes all manner of feeling. Also, it's pretty and quicker than reading the book. Of course, no sooner than I watch the movie (again) than I want to read the book (again), so they feed into themselves.

Tolkien's precision and profundity are two of the most enduring qualities of this work. The language is exquisite, the descriptions are evocative, the characters are real. This is a book that stays with me, always. The issues are real and - most importantly - applicable to each and every stage of a person's life. Also, I'd make a very good hobbit.

How I Live Now

Daisy is sent from New York to live with relatives in England because her stepmother doesn't like her. Or something, that bit isn't important. What is important is how she interacts with these new-found relatives who live out in the country. Next thing you know, there's a war on and the only adult in the house is in a different country.

This is a story of survival in the face of horror, and tenacity. It's a story of how bonds are made and sustained. It's a 'young adult' book, which I usually take to mean children, along with things like Nancy Drew and the Twilight series (neither of which you'll find on my bookshelves, though I have read them). This is not a story I'd recommend for anyone under sixteen. It's a harsh, sometimes graphic description of the horrific reality of war and the effects that exposure to this can have on people - both individually and as a group.

It's a fantastic book, well-written and I heartily recommend it to adult readers.

In Death

Typing is a little difficult, after yesterday's adventure under the ground with the giant, evil porcupine. At least I can type, rather than pecking at the keyboard with one hand as I imagine poor Maretha will be forced to do (or try to do, depending on when the morphine wears off). I admit, emergency rooms are much more bearable when you're not the injured one. Also, it's easier to be philosophical.

This is not the point of this post, though. The point of this post is the In Death series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts). I love detective novels. For most of my childhood I dreamt of being a policeman, a detective, an FBI agent - whoever happened to have captured my fancy at the time. Given the arthritis, it would never have happened. Also, given my reaction to being surprised by a perfectly harmless porcupine (assuming, of course, one doesn't walk right into it), I don't think chasing down criminals is probably a smart thing for me to do. Presumably the training would help, but still. So I have a love of crime fiction, as well as crime non-fiction.

One of the things I love about this series is that despite featuring violent murder and other crimes in every book, the one set of covers features these beautifully peaceful images. A lovely dichotomy. The books are set in the future, though not too far, of New York. Eve Dallas is the injured, hard-nosed cop and Roarke is her criminally-inclined fantastically rich and perfect-in-all-ways lover/boyfriend/husband as the series progresses. It's fun, it's fluffy and there's a wonderfully familiar ring about it, despite the futuristic nature of just about everything.