MARY ~ Tudor Princess by Tony Riches @tonyriches

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member, but I would have bought it anyway because I've enjoyed the other books I've read by this author, especially Jasper.

Genre: Tudor historical fiction

Like many people, I have an unquenchable thirst for good fiction about the Plantagenet and Tudor period.  I wondered if Mary Tudor's story in itself would be enough to sustain a novel, but was pleased to see that it added to my knowledge of the Tudor period and I liked the way the author used her story to produce another, interesting perspective on that of Henry VIII, as Mary fretted over the troubles with France and watched the fortunes of her friend Queen Catherine plummet.

There are some clever ideas in this tale of Henry's sister, such as placing the thirteen-year-old Anne Boleyn as her maid, on the night of her wedding to King Louis of France.  Whether she really was or not I don't know, and neither does it matter, though we are given the information that Anne became one of the ladies of Mary's bedchamber.  That the reader knows more about what was happening at court than the protagonist is a smart move, as we turn the pages in anticipation of her finding out; as an aristocratic woman of her time, Mary's life was, of course, subject to the machinations of the men who controlled her.  Later, when kept away from court at Brandon's seat in Suffolk, she knew only what she heard from others, which included very little of her own husband's infidelities.

As is usual with Tony Riches' books, it is clear that much research has been undertaken without it ever seeming research-heavy, a skill I always admire. 

Brandon and Mary/Margaret in Showtime series The Tudors;

for the series, Henry's two sisters were combined into one character.

Given that the story is of a whole life, and a not uneventful one, this is not a very long book and at times I felt that more detail might have made it more absorbing, for instance in the development of Mary's first, brief marriage to King Louis of France, of Charles Brandon's feeling towards her, of the discovery of her husband's infidelity, and the loss of her first son.  I didn't feel I knew Mary until half way through, and at times it seemed the story was being somewhat raced through as new characters emerged, older ones died off until, had I not known a great deal about this time, I might have forgotten who was who; on the other hand, it is written as Mary would have seen it—and novels of Tudor history are always hampered by the fact that everyone is called Anne, Mary, Catherine, Charles, Henry and Thomas!

I did enjoy it and read it in two sittings; I just felt that, on occasion, the story required extra depth to make me feel really involved with the main character and less as though I was reading a catalogue of factual happenings.  It's as well-written as all Mr Riches' books, though, and that I read it so quickly shows that I found it a page-turner.

Mary's death at the end was beautifully executed.  I do love a good ending.  I'd definitely recommend this book as an addition to the library of fellow Tudor addicts.

THE DISASTER ARTIST by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell @gregsestero

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I watched the film (starring James Franco, excellent) and had to read it!

Genre: Memoir, show business

The Disaster Artist is about Greg Sestero's life with his friend, Tommy Wiseau, a strange, deluded figure of unknown nationality (some think he is Polish), unknown age (rumoured to be over 60), who was in possession of a vast fortune of unknown origin with which he made the 2003 film The Room, that has now gained a cult following.  It's not even so bad it's good, though it is known as the best bad film ever made; this is one of the better trailers for it that I found on Youtube, featuring its 'highlights'.

Greg Sestero meets Tommy Wiseau at a San Francisco acting class, and they strike up a friendship; there is something about the stranger that fascinates Greg.  His acting is terrible; he doesn't understand basic technique, and will take no direction.  But Greg envies him his confidence and (outward) lack of concern about what anyone thinks of him.

The books traces their path through many disappointments in their quests to become great Hollywood stars, culminating, after a few small successes on Greg's part and much emotional turmoil on Tommy's, in the making of The Room.

The book's chapters alternate between the chronological story of Greg and Tommy, and the making of the film itself.  This structure worked very well as it slowly builds up a picture of the whole, and eventually the story of Tommy's past comes out in fragments, though how much is a product of Wiseau's imagination is not known.  This book probably answers more questions than any other speculation I've seen; most of it seems pretty feasible, too.

 

I think this book is best read after seeing the film, and preferably after watching The Room, too, as many of the scenes are referred to, though this is not essential.  Throughout, you will sometimes feel sorry for Tommy and at other times wonder why someone has not landed him a fatal punch or two.  At first I thought Greg was just using Tommy for his money, but as the book progresses he is honest about the fact that he had to share the flat in LA with Tommy because he couldn't afford to live anywhere else; essentially, I think his friendship probably kept Tommy going when he had no one else.  That he was Tommy's only companion did not take long to dawn on him.  On the whole, I don't think Greg painted himself in too glowing a light, and the way he and Tom Bissell have presented Tommy is at times quite touching.

The book is great, the story itself fascinating.  The film is excellent.  The Room is ... a hilarious disaster.  I recommend all three, most highly - start with the James Franco film, and I guarantee you will have to watch The Room once you've seen it!

DEATH WISH by Linda Huber @LindaHuber19

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book:  I've been mutually retweeting with Linda Huber on Twitter for some time and had seen that her books looked popular, so thought I'd try one!

Genre: dark family drama.

A great start to this book: a man is burying a body in a garden.  But who is it?

Death Wish concentrates on two families.  Leo Mackie has just set up home with his unstable girlfriend, Ashley, while her wicked witch mother, Eleanor, looms in the background.  Leo will do anything to keep Ashley's love, and doesn't realise a) quite how unhinged she really is, b) why, and c) what a bad move it is to accept her mother's offer of buying into his business ~ and into their lives....  

The other family consists of sweet eight-year-old Joya, her father, Stu, and her it's-all-about-me, neurotic mother, Martine, who feeds her child an almost constant diet of chips, ice cream and Coke, and leaves her to her own devices much of the time; I was with Stu all the way and wanted to tell her to get a grip, too!  Also in the house is Martine's invalid mother, Vee.

Linda Huber writes in such a readable way, and I read the first 40% of the book in one sitting; it was only later that I realised that almost all of it takes place in the two houses.  That the families lead rather dreary, insular lives did not matter; the writing itself was of a quality that kept me turning the pages.  I liked Ms Huber's decision to show much of the story from Joya's point of view; it gave a refreshing variation to the narrative, and made me remember how I used to think when I was eight years old!  This story is a fine example of what goes on behind respectable closed doors. Leo was by far my favourite character, despite the decisions he makes later; he seemed the most 'real' to me.

There are no great surprises but the end comes together neatly, with a nice little twist or two in the tale that becomes almost darkly comic in places, which I liked.  Within the plot are the deeper issues of Huntington's Disease, assisted suicide, teen pregnancy and adoption, and these are dealt with realistically and with sensitivity.  It's a moderately-paced story, very well put together, and I think it would appeal to anyone who likes intricate family dramas ... with a dark side.

THE HAPPY CHIP by Dennis Meredith

3.5 out of 5 stars 

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

Genre: SciF, Thriller

Freelance writer Brad Davis has been employed at no small cost by scientific genius Marty Fallon to write his autobiography.  Fallon is the inventor of 'the Happy Chip', a device injected into the body that works alongside an app to determine which products, sensations, sights and just about everything else give the individual the most pleasure; it's the ultimate in the pursuit of happiness.  In order to qualify for his big pay day, Brad must have the chip inserted himself.  However, Brad is unaware that he has been given a new prototype that contains a GPS tracker, with more control afforded to NeoHappy, the company that produces the chip.

The idea of this story is most original, and also feasible; I imagine that if the Happy Chip hasn't already been invented, it soon will be - and yes, I should think that if/when it is, millions will flock to use it, never suspecting that such a development can be used to control the mindset of the population.  It is so very sinister because it is plausible.

Brad is 50% a-bit-naïve-ordinary-guy and 50% sceptical investigative journalist.  After only a couple of days, he suspects he is not being given the full story, which bothers him not least of all because he is anxious to produce a credible biograpy.  He discovers that (surprise, surprise), the pleasure ratings of some products are tampered with to favour large corporations.

I was up and down about this book all the way through.  It's a great premise, the plot is fairly well thought out, the pace is good, and the science/techno side is interesting and clearly well-researched, though I did feel it could do with a tighter edit.  There were a bit too many happy coincidences (like Brad just happening to have interviewed a magician who showed him how to escape when one's adversary has bound one's wrists with plastic zip ties).  Most characters talk in much the same way (for instance, every character prefaces sentences with 'Jesus' to denote emphasis or shock), aside from Lundgren, who is such a text book villian he practically twirls his moustache and laughs in a sinister fashion before delivering his body blows, and the cartoon-like Russian, Gregor Kalinsky.  But... Brad is likable and much of it is highly readable.  And I kept coming back to one thing ~ the basic story is right up my street, so I wanted to carry on reading to see what happened.

I think this would work well as a 24-type thriller series or a film, for which the viewer knows there will need to be a certain amount of belief-suspension; it didn't quite tick my personal reading boxes, but I am sure it will be enjoyed by those who love plot-centred thrillers of this type.

NOTES OF A NAIVE TRAVELER by Jennifer S Alderson @JSAauthor

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

Genre: Travel memoir, non-fiction.

From the blurb:
 
Part guidebook on culture and travel, part journey of self-discovery, this travelogue takes you on a backpacking adventure through Nepal and Thailand and provides a firsthand account of one volunteer’s experience teaching in a Nepali school and living with a devout Brahmin family. 

This is quite a short book, written in semi-diary format, partly in emails, about the author's travels in 1999.  The then 26-year-old Jennifer plunges in at the deep end, living first with a Nepali family, trekking around the country, then teaching Nepali children, after which she hits the tourist trail in Thailand.

This book would be most useful as a guidebook for those hoping to travel to Nepal, as it certainly paints a realistic picture; any traveller with whimsical dreams of entering a spiritual heaven as soon as they get off the plane should read the account of Thamel, of the families who assume Westerners are fair game, and of the bloody temple sacrifices ~ the lunch of goat's blood will stay with me, I think...

I grew to like Jennifer more and more as the book went on (important when reading a memoir!), especially when she described the father of one of her Nepali families as 'kind of a schmuck' and the son as a 'little shit' - I have a fondness for those who dare to tell it like it is!  Her youthful enthusiasm is charming - everything is 'amazing', 'gorgeous', 'incredible', etc, though now and again I felt I would have liked to read about the place as seen through more mature eyes.  The most interesting parts of the book, for me, were her observations about the day to day habits and culture of the Nepalis and just little incidents that happened.  Her 'characters' really jumped off the page.  

On to Thailand, and Jennifer experiences the westernised tourist route of the famous Khao San Road and rejects it for more of the 'real' Thailand, though she was disappointed that the hill tribes lived not in mud huts but in shacks with corrugated tin rooves, with motorbikes and trucks parked outside, and that the caves where the Buddhist monks worked were strewn with electric cables.  Generally, though, her time in Thailand sounded so wonderful it almost made me whimper with longing.

(Her description of the more westernised areas of Bangkok reminded me of something a friend told me: Amy had been travelling around South America and Indonesia for almost a year, when some friends came out to join them for a few weeks in Thailand.  She said they were like the gap year backpackers, who thought that getting off their faces on exotic beaches was 'doing' Thailand, and weren't interested in seeing the actual country; they might as well have gone to Ibiza.)

I'd say that anyone who is thinking of visiting these countries, Nepal in particular, should take time to read this warts-and-all account, especially if they're thinking of signing up for the volunteer work that entails being placed with a family.  Jen comes across as a very open-minded and non-egotistical sort of person; maybe why she felt like a fish out of water in the working world of Seattle, and wanted to experience different lifestyles.  I'd definitely read more about her travels; I liked the conversational tone of this book very much.

There are pictures, too ~ always a plus, with a travel guide!

LIFE BEGINS WHEN THE KIDS LEAVE HOME AND THE DOG DIES by Barb Taub @barbtaub

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I love Barb Taub's blog and thought her account of a few weeks in India, Do Not Wash Hands In Plates, was one of the funniest books ever, so this was a 'must buy'!

Genre: Domestic humour, non-fiction 

This is a collection of articles, all with a family theme, from Barb's own childhood, about her parents and siblings, and about her own children and family life.  Later, she touches upon death, and writing....they are all really, really funny.  There are so many newspaper columns and would-be hilarious blogs about domestic life in which the humour seems a little forced and self-consciously 'wacky'; not these.  I read a lot of PJ O'Rourke, and Barb Taub's style reminds me of his lighter, more domestically-orientated pieces.  The off-the-wall snark's all there.

In LBWKLH&DDs, you can do the Super Mother quiz.  And read about Barb's adventures with the possibly rabies-riddled dead bat.  If you dare.  BT deserves widespread reknown ~ I suggest you buy this, pronto, so you can see what I mean!

I'll leave you with some quotes:

When Barb is trying to feed her kids with wholefoods but her husband gives their small one her first ice cream cone: 'Through the chocolate, I could see her thinking, "This stuff was out there and I've been eating yams?"'

'While I bought (my children) developmental, non-gender-specific playthings, my daughters held fashion shows for the stuffed toys and dolls, and their brother built the blocks and legos into weapons of mass-doll-destruction.'

'Barb's guide to films: if the characters kiss a lot, have sex, and then kill each other, it's American.  If they smoke a lot, have sex, and then kill themselves, it's foreign.'

'Sadly, the day came when we had to choose between the cat and our son, who turned out to be allergic to her.  This was a difficult choice because while our son had never coughed up a hairball, he was not a very good mouser.'

AFRICAN WAYS AGAIN by Valerie Poore @vallypee

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read all or nearly all Val Poore's travel memoir books, and was looking forward to this one coming out, having adored its prequel, African Ways.

Genre: Travel Memoir: South Africa

Val Poore, the woman who can write a whole chapter about the weather, and make it interesting....

I adored the first African Ways book, about the three years in the early 1980s when Val and her family lived on a farm up a mountain in South Africa; in this she describes the time as possibly the happiest in her life, and the book reflects its magic.  Now, the family have moved down the mountain to the small town of Byrne, where they can enjoy such luxuries as electricity.  And snakes.  Don't forget the snakes.  There was me thinking how much I wanted to live there, until I read about them.

When Val's children go to school, she is faced, for the first time, with apartheid; segregation is still in place.  Aside from this, there are daily reminders about how hard life can be for the natives of South Africa at this time.  She doesn't write about it by way of 'raising awareness', or anything so ghastly, though; it's all very matter of fact, just her observations.  This book does not pretend to be a political or sociological comment, but maybe because it doesn't, it kind of is, in the best possible way.  I definitely got the feeling, though, of, as Val says, the calm before the storm of the early-mid 1980s.

Aside from this, I loved the reminders of the pre-internet life that has disappeared; her amazement at the wonder of fax machines, and the discovery of cheap LPs in her favourite shop (under 25s: ask your mum).  When I read about the mountain dwellers being cleared from the land, I felt so sad.  I feel nostalgic for that time on Val's behalf, and I've hardly even seen pictures of it.  One of the reasons I love her books is that it is so clear that she cares more about people, experiences, living in the moment and simple joys than materialism and conforming to society's 'norms'; there aren't many of us about, at our age!

I'd definitely recommend this book if you're a dog person; I am massively not, but there is much animal stuff that will make the lovers of our four-legged friends smile.

Val deals with upheavals in her personal life in that far away country with two small children to care for, but by 1987, what with the 'gathering storm' of racial and political unrest, she decides it is time to go back to the UK.  Can she return to 'normal' English life?  You'll have to read this, and all her other books, to find out!