It’s 1940 and twenty year-old Charlotte has found some independence away from her stifling father, working in the typing pool of a government departmeIt’s 1940 and twenty year-old Charlotte has found some independence away from her stifling father, working in the typing pool of a government department and living in her own rented London digs. Then, The Blitz begins and her life crashes down around her with the bombs. She even starts to wonder, given she has lost so many, if the deaths of her friends and acquaintances might not have been caused by the German bombings but something else entirely.
I thought this would be a historical spy thriller with a touch of romance, however, Baker doesn’t make the plot so simplistic and veered off into some very unexpected directions. It’s Baker’s depiction of The Blitz that’s a real standout though. Every scene was full of tension and it was almost like I could feel the bombs going off around me too.
There’s many pertinent-for-today themes covered - I just can’t reveal them as they could become spoilers. Actually, if you are planning on reading, you should probably avoid too many reviews in general. I’d have been upset if I’d read about the many twists and turns beforehand.
This was my first Jo Baker book but it won’t be my last.
Recommended 4 out of 5
*Thank you to Better Reading AU for my ARC copy....more
One of my goals this year was to finish off this series, so points to me for actually coming through!
This book is easily the least favourite instalmenOne of my goals this year was to finish off this series, so points to me for actually coming through!
This book is easily the least favourite instalment in the movie franchise (cut into two parts) and I think I understand now since reading the book it’s based upon. Compared to the first two in the series, it’s a bit of a let down.
Collins had such a good build up to the rebellion in the second book but its resolution was… a little underwhelming, to be honest.
I think the most annoying part of the book was that Collins built up to a climactic scene, for literally a third of the book, and then… Nothing. Katniss and crew are making their way to the Capitol, dropping like flies along the way, and then we get this entirely different moment. I didn't really think this bait and switch was clever, it just made me feel that a big part of the book was redundant.
The other build up that just went nowhere was the character of Johanna. Her inclusion in the second book was touted as so important to the rebellion and she hardly gets a mention in book three. My other favourite, Haymitch, also goes from one of the leaders of the rebellion to a minor character who basically just makes a cameo now and then. (For the record, I would read a book with just Haymitch or Johanna way before I picked up the one on Snow.)
Oh, and I didn’t think Collins had a clue what to do with the love triangle so she just winged it and somehow readers bought it. What.ever.
The book wasn’t all bad, it just wasn’t as good as the first two.
During the first parts of The Wreckage Robotham juggles several plotlines, all seemingly unrelated. In post war Iraq we get the story of Luca, a reporDuring the first parts of The Wreckage Robotham juggles several plotlines, all seemingly unrelated. In post war Iraq we get the story of Luca, a reporter, and Daniela, a UN financial auditor, investigating a series of bank robberies. In London we meet Holly, a thief, who is in serious trouble after robbing the wrong person. There’s also Elizabeth, the heavily pregnant wife of a missing banker. And in the middle of the action is my favourite sidekick police detective ever, Vincent Ruiz (okay, he’s an ex police detective now but that’s a technicality).
Of course, as these things go, the reader realises that Robotham will tie all the threads together but he does take a long time. A lot of reviewers, like me, found the beginning of the book slow. It was almost like reading three separate books for a while and things didn’t speed up until everything linked together.
I don’t pretend to understand politics in the Middle East and it all got quite complicated a few times. Of course Robotham has done his homework when it comes to researching Iraq and the depressingly dangerous way of life in the country. But perhaps the beginning of the book got a little bogged down with explaining it all.
Another issue I had is the book is more of an action/espionage thriller. There’s terrorists and extremists and spies. It’s a subgenre which is not really my thing.
Joe’s role in the book is almost a cameo. He does feature but only from about the three quarter mark onwards and only in a minor supporting role. This also could be why I disliked this book more than the others; I think Joe should have been used more. He seemed to brighten the book immediately with his entrance. Vincent too was much more appealing when teamed with Joe. They make the perfect Odd Couple-like duo and their comedy lightened the book’s otherwise heavy content.
Robotham’s writing is, as usual, sublime. His descriptive passages make the settings and action come to life on the page. Characterisation is never an issue though I did get the sense that Good Girl Bad Girl’s Evie was formed from Holly and, at times, had trouble separating them in my mind.
Unfortunately The Wreckage is my least favourite of the Joe O’Loughlin books to date. But, to be fair, Robotham’s worst is still far superior to the best of most other authors.
I loved the emotional parts of this book. That is, Miles's loyalty to his home planet and his family, despite his insistence that he wants * Re-read *
I loved the emotional parts of this book. That is, Miles's loyalty to his home planet and his family, despite his insistence that he wants to be a 'free' man with his mercenary fleet. I think the only reason this one rates 4 1/2 stars only is that there are a few scenes in the beginning which aren't written quite as crisply as they would be in the later books in the series. The entire clone plotline, however, is sheer genius and worth the price alone.
Original review:
This installment of the Vorkosigan Saga follows directly on from the novella, Borders of Infinity. In Borders Miles had battled and outwitted the Cetagandans, resulting in a price put on his head and the Dendarii fleet in need of some time to recover economically and emotionally. They choose to do so on Earth; in particular London.
It soon turns out to be no relaxing and rejuvenating break. Miles has to deal with Fleet money issues, a new superior at the Barrayaran embassy, and his evolving feelings for Elli, who has had a sweet crush on him since The Warrior's Apprentice. Miles's biggest dilemma though is juggling his double life of Admiral Naismith of the Dendarii Fleet and Lord Vorkosigan, son of the Barrayar Prime Minister. In a tough spot with a reporters and the police, Miles invents a story in a vain attempt to prove his two identities are separate persons - he claims he was cloned. In a twist that unfortunately we all see coming (see below) Miles discovers that this story he’d invented on the spur of the moment could actually be true.
Overall, plot wise, this is probably my favourite Miles adventure yet but it was spoiled by a couple of things - the first being spoilers.
Yes, the detail of the clone storyline is basically impossible to avoid. Nearly every review mentions it, discussions on the series mention it, it's even advertised on the book covers (as usual, nearly all the covers are horrendous). If this isn't enough, the next book in the series mentions some of the details on the blurb and shows us two Miles on the cover. So, with not even LMB or the publishers creating a spoiler free environment, the twist and big reveal was a bit anticlimactic. A shame too, considering it was quite a way into the book and so well done.
My other complaint with the book is that Miles once again manages to get himself out of trouble so easily. Yes, LMB always creates conflict beautifully by throwing Miles in the proverbial deep end every chance she gets, but I often find he manages to extract himself and his friends from harm’s way with relative ease which, I admit, lessens the tension. Sometimes I wish things would drag on a little longer before Miles has to move on to his next crisis.
I also realise LMB writes these books completely from Miles’s point of view but I did, at times, long for the point of view of the other characters (in particular, his cousin Ivan and Elli's) in this installment.
LMB usually wins me over with Miles’s soul searching and poignant moments and she did this once again with some fine moments revolving around Miles’s relationship with his parents, Ivan, and Elli. *sniff* I also loved how Miles’s love for, and loyalty to, his family and home planet are depicted in this book. It's a recurring theme of Brothers In Arms and adds meaning to the title.
Another highlight of the book was the inclusion of Captain Galeni, whose presence not only brings us up to date with what has happened to the Komarrans since Aral’s defeat of the planet, but also introduces us to a new supporting character whom I hope will pop up again in the series.
After being in a bit of rut reading-wise lately, this book really excited me to continue with the series.
I’ve gotten a little behind in my Vorkosigan Saga challenge but it wasn’t difficult to finish this edition as it’s a quite short novella. Never fear tI’ve gotten a little behind in my Vorkosigan Saga challenge but it wasn’t difficult to finish this edition as it’s a quite short novella. Never fear though as LMB always manages to fit lots into her novellas, meaning there’s no lack of plot, action or humour. And, actually, there’s even some ‘forward momentum’ of Miles’s characterisation, I thought.
The whole story is set up as a report from Miles to Barrayaran Intelligence, so LMB begins the story with Miles entering a high tech POW camp with unfortunately no real explanation to the reader. (We do find out the vague details towards the end though. And I guess LMB never thought it was really relevant to the fun or the moral of the story.)
After his initial less-than-friendly welcome to the camp, Miles gains further information about how the camp is run and soon realises that although the Cetagandans (who run the camp) are not breaking any POW camp rules technically, they’re still physically and psychologically abusing the prisoners. To counter the latter especially Miles comes up with, as usual, a plan to get the prisoners working together and focused on fighting their captors instead of each other. Obviously with this subject matter, there’s lots of reflection a reader can do about the chances of rehabilitation vs escalation of violence for those incarcerated and what is a basic human right.
As is usual with LMB, she still manages to keep the book funny, mostly from the fact that poor ol’ Miles spends most of the book without clothes on.
I think I would have given the book a lesser rating, as I admit I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the other Miles novellas I’ve read, but for the ending and the poignant moment included in the ‘framing’ of the story. This scene, featuring my beloved Cordelia, added another half start at least.
Re-read One more... I can't actually remember this one's plot.
My original review was solid. 5 out of 5 again
**
This is my fav Miles so far. (I think Re-read One more... I can't actually remember this one's plot.
My original review was solid. 5 out of 5 again
**
This is my fav Miles so far. (I think I might be saying this after every book!) I thought there was a good mix between action and political intrigue, humour and poignancy, and a standalone plot if you wanted to read this out of order but still the forward momentum of the overarching series plot and formation of the characters.
The book’s beginning sequences were fantastic. Miles’s first posting after graduating from military academy is at an isolated outpost at Barrayar’s arctic circle. He is sent there as a meteorology tech and soon butts heads with the station’s commander. He also manages to come across a dead body.
This section felt like an opening sequence in a movie - like a James Bond beginning or the Empire Strikes Back Hoth scene. It had heaps of action and mystery and, although it might not have been completely necessary to the main plot, it did offer a lot of additional characterisation. (I just read it was originally a separate novella, so that explains its feel to some degree.)
The action then moves to space when a new series of events has Miles meeting up with the fleet of mercenaries he created in Warrior’s Apprentice. Of course, in amongst the action is a plethora of important themes. LMB always seems to tackle difficult subjects effortlessly; weaving topics into the plot organically without coming across as preachy. She also always seems to be way ahead of her time. This was published in 1990 and yet she covers a lot of current topical issues - men's health and wellbeing being the most notable.
In this universe many characters are members of minority groups but, for the most, they aren't treated differently. I guess the great irony is that Miles is the only one who is treated differently and labelled [incorrectly] as a mutant.
The other thing I really liked about this book was the Miles/Gregor dynamic. (Gregor being the emperor of Barrayar who, up until this book, has been discussed quite a bit but rarely featured.)
There are sooooo many books out there who have men in this type of relationship (quasi brother relationship) depicted in a negative way. I mean, how many times do we have the male characters who grew up in the same house/shared a parent etc become enemies? One is quite often the villain and one the hero. So many... Even Harry Potter for goodness sake! I just really appreciated that Miles and Gregor acted like they were normal brothers. Even though a fair amount of characters suspected Miles would betray Gregor and attempt to usurp him, Gregor himself never did. (It's also a lovely little reminder that, despite the constant rumours otherwise, Gregor also knows Aral is forever loyal to his position as emperor.) I liked all their scenes together and thought it was a great example of male friendship.
My favourites from previous books Aral and Illyan are featured for a fair amount of time but unfortunately Cordelia continues to take a backseat.
Looking forward to the next in this series though.
Re-read - I was only going to read Shards of Honor but here I am...
During this re-read I started thinking about the title. McMaster Bujold implies toRe-read - I was only going to read Shards of Honor but here I am...
During this re-read I started thinking about the title. McMaster Bujold implies towards the end the warrior's apprentice is Elena, but we must assume the apprentice is in fact Miles. But whose apprentice is he? Aral's? Bothari's? I don't know... I just had thinky thoughts about it all.
Anyway, I forgot how sad this book was. Just maybe too many convenient moments for the Dendarii mercenaries.
4 1/2 out of 5 still seems right
**
The Warrior’s Apprentice introduces Miles Vorkosigan as the ongoing lead protagonist of this book series, following on from his parents who were the leads in the previous two books. A lot of people say you can start the saga with this book but I would definitely recommend reading Shards of Honour and Barrayar first. I think you’d definitely be confused by quite a few aspects of Warrior’s Apprentice if you hadn’t bothered.
The beginning of the book is fantastic. 17 year-old Miles desperately wants to live up to his Vor heritage and become part of the military. Unfortunately, his brittle bones and impairments (caused by an assassination attempt when he was in vitro), means he fails the physical tests required. I loved this part. My heart just broke at Miles’s [obviously mistaken] belief that his parents and grandfather think he’s a disappointment.
The middle part of the books has Miles travelling to his mother’s planet of Beta where his initial plan is to find the truth about his childhood friend (and unrequited love) Elena Bothari’s mother. The background of Elena’s parentage was explained in Shards of Honor and Barrayar and this is another reason why I think you need to read those two books first. I guess LMB explains things, in a manner, but there’s a lot of implying the reader already knows the devastating truth.
Along the way, Miles somehow finds himself the leader of a band of mercenaries and involved in an interplanetary war, weapons smuggling, and a payroll heist. Unfortunately, this part of the book dragged for me a bit. I know it was supposed to show how charismatic, intelligent and empathetic Miles is despite his handicaps but, at times, it became confusing and a little young adult for my liking. (Confusing as in, there seemed to be too many characters and political situations I needed to follow.) I much preferred the book once its setting returned to Barrayar.
Miles’s life as a mercenary of course, highlights that even though Miles thinks otherwise due to his physical issues, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and he’s perfectly suited as a military strategist.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Elena’s. She is so overtly feminist that, at times, it felt like it was just too much, if you know what I mean. I much preferred Cordelia’s more subtle feminism.
Unlike most other reviewers of this series, I can’t say I hated Ivan, Miles’s cousin. Okay, he’s dumb but he still was fiercely loyal to Aral and Miles which I appreciated.
Elena Bothari’s father redeemed himself to me in this installment. There was a lot about him in the previous two books that made me uncomfortable but his paternal protectiveness with both Miles and Elena made me realise he was at least trying to right wrongs from the past. The love Miles gives him in return definitely made me tear up.
Actually, the recurring theme of parental love was my favourite thing about this book. Miles’s complicated relationship with his father, and Aral and Cordelia’s equally complicated one with his grandfather, to me were the heart, and heartbreaking best moments, of the story. There are even pseudo paternal moments between Aral and Emperor Gregor that were heartbreakingly sad. (I love Aral so much and adored every scene he was featured in and every time Miles tried to emulate him. *sigh*)
Again, LMB wrote this in 1986 and you’d expect a lot of the scifi aspects to be dated but again, LMB does extremely well. Not that I think the scifi gadget/weapons/battles are the important part of these books. It’s all about the characters and LMB’s penchant for dialogue heavy scenes always supports this theory.
Anyway, I guess in the grand scheme of things, I didn’t love this book as much as its two predecessors but it is still a nice introduction to Miles. I definitely instantly loved him and can’t wait to read the journey LMB takes him on.
I read Beautiful Messy Love by Tess Woods not that long ago and really enjoyed it, so I was super excited to receive Love and Other Battles via NetgalI read Beautiful Messy Love by Tess Woods not that long ago and really enjoyed it, so I was super excited to receive Love and Other Battles via Netgalley (thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia!). Happily, I was not disappointed. This latest by Woods is another great read.
The book includes three generations of women -- Jess, her daughter Jamie, and Jamie’s daughter (Jess’s granddaughter) CJ. With this type of book I usually am more interested in one of the characters/plots but Woods managed to write three likeable female characters with equally strong storylines.
I wouldn’t really describe this book as a romance, even though all three women have romantic aspects to their plots. Jess’s story is probably the most traditionally romantic when she, a true hippy/flower child of the 60s, meets Frank, a nasho about to go on a tour of duty in Vietnam.
Jamie rebels against her parents’ hippy upbringing by becoming straight-laced, with a traditional career in teaching, which has now led to her current job as a private school principal. Flashbacks featuring CJ’s father add a further explanation to Jamie’s conservative personality. Jamie's life is thrown into turmoil when CJ is accused of using drugs (marijuana) she got from Jess.
As a mother of a 16 year old girl, I found CJ’s storyline particularly scary. Negotiating the dating minefield is difficult enough for teenagers without adding in the lack of privacy due to the internet/social media. Of the three storylines this one was actually my favourite (despite its terrifying aspects) which is a testament to its strength as I’m usually drawn to what is going on in the older characters’ lives.
Woods included many contemporary issues into the storylines seamlessly. Self harm/cutting, drug and alcohol dependency, bullying, child abuse, religious prejudice, the futility of war, the consequences of suicide, date rape, medical cannabis, and assisted death/euthanasia are all huge parts of the plot. As I said though, they’re all seamlessly added and none of them seem out of place or unnecessary. Instead, I found they added to the depth of the book and gave the reader a much better understanding of these problems than news outlets ever could.
I did love the Aussie feel of the book but I think readers from other countries will also easily connect to the characters and storylines. (They just might not know who the Aussie singers and entertainers mentioned are but I doubt younger readers would either.)
Woods’ prose is extremely readable and the shorter chapters had me flying through the book in a mere couple of days. Unlike so many other books I’ve read of late which fall flat at the end, Love and Other Battles has a satisfying ending which even includes an unexpected twist.
I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more books by Tess Woods. 5 out of 5....more
Even to those closest to him, Lale had never revealed the whole story of his time in Birkenau and Auschwitz, believing people might regard him as a coEven to those closest to him, Lale had never revealed the whole story of his time in Birkenau and Auschwitz, believing people might regard him as a collaborator, due to his ‘privileged’ position as the tattooist. But, after his wife passed away, he decided the truth should be told.
Originally from Slovakia, where one male from each Jewish family was forced to surrender to the work camps, Lale had been a bit of a man about town, ladies’ man with the golden tongue, with the taste for the good life. In the camp he continues to use his smooth ways to ensure he, and many others, stay alive.
As the tattooist, he gets to move about a little more freely than the rest of the prisoners. Using this to his advantage, he quickly devises a system for trading jewels and money (which were taken from the Jews entering the camp) for medicine and extra food. He falls head over heels for one woman he helps in particular -- Gita -- and essentially the book was written as a gift of love for Gita.
What happened to people during the Holocaust is always shocking, no matter how much you know and how many times you read about it, and this book is no exception. The history of the many and varied ways the Jews suffered through this period needs to always be retold.
Lale's (and Gita's) story definitely needed to be told. His depressing and heartbreaking story of finding the love of his life whilst surviving Hitler’s death camps is without doubt mesmerising. From this viewpoint The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a 5 out of 5 read. Unfortunately, I did not completely connect with Morris’s writing style.
Morris basically stated what was happening with the characters and her prose lacked some of the emotion and depth I would expect from an author tackling such a story. She has readily admitted this was originally written as a screenplay and I think it shows.
In my opinion Morris seemed to struggle with creating tension. So many situations Lale finds himself in were (obviously) fraught with danger yet I never had that fear gripping my insides as I turned the page as I, later, imagined I should. I also didn’t completely feel the romance, which I think also lacked a little from the basic prose.
The gas chambers, the crematorium, the medical experiments: Morris seemed to skim over these horrors. In fact, the way it was written assumes the reader knows all the facts surrounding the camps. This is probably true for most mature readers but I wouldn’t think the book is a good starting point to learn about the Holocaust for young adult readers.
Morris also wraps up the book a little too quickly for my liking. Lale and Gita’s stories after the camps were liberated is just as fascinating and harrowing as their time behind the barbed wire. I would have liked this to have been written in more detail instead of a few chapters and an epilogue providing me with a recap. There was so much storyline that I think there could have been almost a second book of Lale and Gita’s life after the camp.
I recently saw an interview on The Project of Lale’s son and Morris. There, a fellow survivor who ended up also immigrating to Australia talked about how she had known Lale prior to the war and her tattooed number is particularly larger than the other prisoners as they had chatted for so long while he inked the numbers on her arm. They also mentioned that Lale and Gita were among the survivors who provided Spielberg with information for Schindler’s List. I was disappointed when neither of these interesting pieces of information were included in the book.
I still highly recommend the book but need to take a star off as I think this is a great book but not the important piece of literature it could have become with another writer. It is blatantly obvious, however, that Morris and Lale shared a bond. Lale trusted Morris with his story and I must respect the decision he made even if it caused me to not add the book onto my favourites list.
I thought The Art of Preserving Love was difficult to describe. Then I realised, once I’d finished reading the rich and unique tale, that the book’s tI thought The Art of Preserving Love was difficult to describe. Then I realised, once I’d finished reading the rich and unique tale, that the book’s title describes it beautifully. Preserving love, eternal love which doesn’t fade no matter the circumstances, is a major theme throughout. And I mean love in all its forms, not just romantic. There is romance, of course, but it isn’t written in the traditional form. The romance more or less just weaves its way through what I’d probably class as a historical women’s fiction book. At times I was reminded a little of The Dressmaker, only this book isn’t quite as dark as I found that. (I must point out I haven’t read that book, only seen the movie.)
At the beginning of the book we are introduced to 19 year old Edie. In 1905 Ballarat, she is in love with Theo who plays the organ at her church, even though most believe she is too plain to catch his eye. From here, the book covers Edie’s growth from a spoilt self absorbed girl whose only care is the length of her skirt, to 1924 when Edie is a self assured independent woman who has sacrificed much for love.
Langton doesn’t centre completely on Edie and Theo, however. She introduces seemingly random characters and focuses on their stories intently until she manages to pull the threads together and we eventually understand each individual’s inclusion and impact upon the novel’s plot.
I liked all the female characters, especially Edie’s maid, Beth, and Theo’s mother, Lilly. However, I didn’t feel I became as attached to the male characters. In fact, if there is one flaw in the book it would be that I’m not sure if I was ever particularly fond of Theo. There was something about him I found quite often unappealing.
Many historical events are covered within the 1905 to 1924 timeframe – the most obvious being WW1. I thought Langton was strongest when describing the war and its lasting effects. This not only included the returning soldiers and their shellshock/PTSD but the way the war changed society in general, the political climate and such things as the feminist movement.
The institution of marriage is comprehensively studied also. Divorce, sex before marriage, forced marriages, marriage for convenience or religious reasons, de facto relationships, extramarital affairs, and same sex marriages/relationships are all brought up at some stage. It’s interesting how some ideas have changed considerably and yet some are still exactly as they were in the early 20th century.
Another interesting subject Langton included was the medical advice given at the time. True story: My great aunt had a (slight) birth defect and was basically left for dead by the medical profession around the same time this novel started, so the idea of the character Gracie being written off by the doctors is not unrealistic and extremely frustrating.
And sadly, the medical profession and society’s ignorance when it comes to dealing with mental health has probably only improved by a fraction. However, I’m happy to announce that no one suggests drinking a wine laced with cocaine anymore. I’m sure it sounded like a good idea at the time… And I won’t mention what they wanted to feed a newborn baby instead of a mother’s breast milk!
Being set in Ballarat gave Langton the chance to also focus on Australia’s early struggles when it came to workers’ rights. I’m not sure if Langton lives in the area or has just researched it thoroughly but she certainly made the large country town come alive. In fact, the book has a very Australian feel to it. Perfect for an Australia Day weekend.
These books are big favourites of lots of my friends but even though I thought All Systems Red was good, I didn’t think it was great.
The plotline wasnThese books are big favourites of lots of my friends but even though I thought All Systems Red was good, I didn’t think it was great.
The plotline wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Without spoiling, it’s all quite Robocop when I was expecting more of a ‘detective in space’ type thing.
The book’s brevity put me off quite a bit. The main storyline was resolved super fast and ended pretty abruptly. I would suppose that Wells wrote this as a standalone novella and its popularity led her to continue with more. I’m unsure why she continued with this format instead of writing a longer instalment though.
I did manage to get this cheaper via the audio version and maybe the narrator is influencing me somewhat. He didn’t excite me much. If I pick up another of these, it will definitely be via the normal format but I'll wait until they're on special. (The cost of these extremely short books is also very off-putting!)
After finishing All Clear, my love for Willis’s Oxford Time Travel series has not diminished and in fact I’m sad and depressed that I only have Fire WAfter finishing All Clear, my love for Willis’s Oxford Time Travel series has not diminished and in fact I’m sad and depressed that I only have Fire Watch, the short story, remaining. I’d love to demand Willis write another book in the series but as I recently read she took an epic eight years to pen Blackout and All Clear, I don’t see it happening in my near future.
All Clear is a continuation of Blackout (#3 in the series). You have to read Blackout for it to make any sense as it’s not a separate plot/book which you can follow without reading the former. (Blackout and All Clear combined would have edged out War and Peace for length so Willis decided to break up the book into two volumes.) Upon stating that, however, I did feel a slight change in the mood when All Clear began.
All Clear seemed to answer a lot of Blackout’s questions rather quickly. Only, instead of making the reader more calm, Willis managed to add yet another layer of tension with their solutions.
The main premise of both books is that three time travellers, Polly, Michael and Eileen, cannot seem to return to their own time after arriving in England during WW2. In Blackout, the time travellers thought their presence and the ‘net’ (a time travel portal) refusing to open and return to them to 2060 was due to their level of interference during the period. They wonder if, after inadvertently changing minor events, they’d affected the future and Germany and the Nazis might have won the war.
In All Clear, they start to believe the time travel ‘net’ might be closed in an effort to kill them, and everyone they come into contact with, to prevent a time paradox. Adding to their woes, besides the obvious dangers of the war, is their fast approaching ‘deadlines’ (a deadline is the date the traveller started a different assignment into the past). As in, they can’t be in two places at once and will die if they haven’t returned to their present by this date.
This is about as technical as Willis gets. Her stories aren’t about sci-fi gadgets or explaining the nuts and bolts of how time travel works. They’re about people and love and death and friendship and romance and bravery and sacrifice. The characters in her books are ordinary people. Ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Actually, she said it best: What are Blackout and All Clear about? They're about Dunkirk and ration books and D-Day and V-1 rockets, about tube shelters and Bletchley Park and gas masks and stirrup pumps and Christmas pantomimes and cows and crossword puzzles and the deception campaign. And mostly the book's about all the people who "did their bit" to save the world from Hitler—Shakespearean actors and ambulance drivers and vicars and landladies and nurses and WRENs and RAF pilots and Winston Churchill and General Patton and Agatha Christie—heroes all.
Yes, while Dorothy Sayers is almost another character of To Say Nothing of the Dog (book 2 in the series), Agatha Christie plays a huge part of All Clear. As does Shakespeare and JM Barrie, the latter being used in a long running gag which made me laugh each time it was used. Oh, and the spies working for Operation Fortitude (a military deception by the English to make the Germans think they were attacking at different times and different areas than they were in reality) which features heavily in the book all have names taken from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest -- such irony!
Willis seems to weave things like this through her stories so effortlessly. Another thing she does effortlessly is writing huge emotional moments when you least expect it. That is, she has a knack of making you laugh at something right before she punches you in the gut.
Binnie and Alf, two children Eileen is saddled with in Blackout, are perfect examples of this. I adored them both. They are hilarious. And then, suddenly, they do or say something so small and seemingly insignificant, and you’re awash with emotions and tears.
Yes, like in her previous Oxford books, parental love is a huge theme of All Clear. Eileen’s developing bond with the children is probably my favourite part of the book. It’s a storyline that is never forced or cliched or corny. Instead it’s poignant and timed exactly right.
I also adore the relationship between Mr Dunworthy and Colin. This had, of course, began in The Doomsday Book and its continuation feels so organic and right.
As is the romantic love featured in the book. Again, instead of shoving the romance at the reader, Willis presents it so naturally we not only believe in it wholeheartedly, we cheer it on eagerly.
There is also the continuing theme of friendship and loyalty. Other than our main time travellers, we get a plethora of supporting characters who also carry on with the theme. Willis’s characterisation is so superb with all the many and varied minor players she introduces and uses. I could imagine them all so clearly. You also get a huge sense of who loves whom, platonically or otherwise, so easily from the way Willis writes.
Don’t panic though, the book is not a romance in the traditional sense. It has great literary value for its history lessons, if nothing else. (I get so mad that scifi is dismissed by most intellectuals.) I learned more about WW2 from this book than I had from any other platform.
I can't recommend these books or this series enough.
I quickly checked out some reviews of this book a moment ago and I don’t understand all the hate.
Yes, it has no ending but this is not a secret. It’sI quickly checked out some reviews of this book a moment ago and I don’t understand all the hate.
Yes, it has no ending but this is not a secret. It’s a well advertised fact that Willis broke the original book into two volumes due to its length. So yes, the book has a huge cliffhanger and you’ll have to fork out more money for All Clear. Get over it. It’s worth it.
Yes, it has ordinary characters doing ordinary things. This is the point, people! You’re supposed to look past the ordinary until it suddenly dawns on you that the characters and their lives are anything but ordinary! If you haven’t had that lightbulb moment, move on!
Yes, I don’t think the book will make much sense to those who haven’t read the first two Oxford Time Travel books. Willis doesn’t get bogged down in explaining her time travel or its mechanics, you’re supposed to already know the basics of how it works. You’re also supposed to know about Professor Dunworthy and crew’s adventures from the earlier books. So, before you even think about reading Blackout, you must read, at least, Doomsday Book for it all to make sense. (Doomsday Book is pretty harrowing, so I’d also suggest you then read To Say Nothing of the Dog as it’s more of a romantic comedy and will ease the pain of the first book.)
Professor Dunworthy has only featured briefly thus far (of course, if he was in the book more we would then know the outcome of the plot). Also returning from Doomsday Book is Colin, Dr Ahrens great-nephew and, I assume, he will feature a little more heavily in All Clear.
Blackout has time travellers heading for England during WW2. Polly heads for London to work as a shopgirl and observe how people coped in the blitz, Merope (who has changed her too-modern name to Ilene) goes to Warwickshire as a servant to observe children who’ve been evacuated out of the city, and Michael (who poses as an American and therefore, changes his name also to Mike) goes to Dover as a reporter to observe the rescue of the Dunkirk troops.
We also get brief scenes of another time traveller who our main three do not seem to know about -- Mary Kent, who joins the FANY as an ambulance driver/nurse. Although Mary’s surname is Kent, could she also be using an alias and Mary is actually my beloved Dr Mary Ahrens from Doomsday Book? (I’ll know for sure if she turns out to be epic and saves the world! LOL) If she has time travelled from an earlier time than our three leads it would explain why they do not know about her existence.
If I can’t convince you to read these books for enjoyment, you should read to learn our history, at least. I thought I was pretty learned when it came to WW2 (especially compared to the limited knowledge I had of the Black Death when I started reading Doomsday Book) but there is interesting fact after fact that Willis presents which are new and I had no idea about. Because Willis’s style is to focus on the ordinary, they’re usually smalls things that probably never made it into history books but just make you pause and think, ‘wow’. And even if you know the history, Willis presents it in such a way that makes you appreciate it more. What a miracle it was that England withstood Hitler and the Nazis!
Of course, this being scifi and time travel, the tension is that perhaps England won’t prevail due to the small changes Merope, Polly and Michael are making by their presence. Are they changing history unwittingly? Well, I won’t know until I finish All Clear.
All Clear is the last in the Oxford time travel series, however, so I want to savour it. I don’t think I can truly explain the love I have for this sci fi series. I don’t want it to end.
5 out of 5
PS: I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The narrator is the best I’ve ever come across in audiobook land. I was so impressed by her narration, I looked her up and her name is Katherine Kellgren and I will look out for other books she’s read. She is American, but studied in England and there’s no way I would have guessed she wasn’t a Brit from her narration. Sadly, she passed away in January after battling cancer.
Two Christmas stories are told in alternate chapters in this novel. Both are set in Jersey, one in 2016 and the other in 1942.
I have a real fascinatiTwo Christmas stories are told in alternate chapters in this novel. Both are set in Jersey, one in 2016 and the other in 1942.
I have a real fascination of the Channel Islands and their German occupation in WW2. Therefore, I thought this book had real promise. It turned out to be an unfulfilled promise.
The present day story stars Libby, who’s disgruntled with her job, her family and then her best friend when she suddenly turns on her. Pretty much all this conflict made me want to scream. Neither Libby, any of her immediate family, or Stella (the best friend) was likeable. Her hubby was weak. The kids were spoilt attention seekers. Stella was obviously a completely nutcase going through menopause. And Libby was self-absorbed and immature.
The historical chapters, written in the form of Libby’s great aunt’s diary, fall just as flat unfortunately. The characters here are just as whiny as the present day ones in fact.
There’s a lot of plot in the 1942 chapters. Girls fall in and out of love with their German captors, Jews and Russians hide, people get sick, and one even gets murdered. I hate to say it but Boxall just didn’t write a story based on these plots, however. She just wrote they happened and expected that to be enough. There’s no tension, no build up of events, and little to no characterisation (everyone sounds the same).
The murder, in particular, should have been a climactic scene that made us fret for the characters’ fate, but instead it’s ‘oh, there’s a body’. And the killer’s reveal is just ridiculous. Not their identity but the way they're revealed. There was no ‘show and tell’just all tell in a terrible info dump.
It’s a short book, which is the only reason I kept reading to the end.
2 out of 5 is generous. I’d highly recommend picking up a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society instead.
So many people told me this book was great-- it’s been described to me as clever, original, groundbreaking etc etc. So, I thought I’d give it a go, deSo many people told me this book was great-- it’s been described to me as clever, original, groundbreaking etc etc. So, I thought I’d give it a go, despite the fact I’m not a huge zombie fan. The limit of my zombie exposure is about four eppies of The Walking Dead (which I found disturbing although I must add not due to the zombies) and Shaun of the Dead (which is, obviously, a comedy). Brooks, on the other hand, has plainly put a lot of thought into the idea of a zombie apocalypse.
World War Z is actually what it claims to be - an oral history of a zombie war. There is no traditional narrative prose style or lead characters. It’s more a collection of (‘war’) short stories. The premise is an interviewer is travelling around the world after a zombie war, interviewing survivors. Each story is unique and features a different aspect of the war. Even though these stories and the interviewees/characters are seemingly unconnected and told in no particular order, you suddenly realise they’ve blended into a plot and a clear picture and chronological timeline of the zombie war forms in your mind.
I thought the stories would be equal parts humorous and gory. Some tense thrills mixed in with some relieving laughs, I guessed. Instead I would probably describe the book as a social commentary of political and past/current events, including real life wars, terrorism, environmental impacts, corporate and government corruption, the falsity of the media and much more.
I’m not sure I loved the style. Although original, didn’t give me a sense of emotional connection I usually look for in a book. Sure, a lot of the stories were really poignant but others just left me a little flat and bored. Like all short story collections, I liked some stories more than others.
To say a fictional account of a fictional war is meticulously researched sounds ridiculous, but it’s probably one of the most interesting thing about WWZ. In each short story, Brooks explains the historical and current political, religious and social systems of numerous countries to the reader in great detail to establish the impact zombies would have on each country. For example, he doesn’t simply say which country struggles to survive and which becomes a world leader and financial powerhouse; he says why with such intelligent reasoning that, at times, I truly forgot WWZ had not actually occurred.
I’m sure Brooks forgets at times too. Reading through the books he’s written on Goodreads is like reading through a zombie reference library. He clearly loves the subject.
But do I feel the need to explore zombies further? Well, to be perfectly honest, I do in a way. I usually dismiss the zombie genre as a fad for teenagers and those eager to follow trends. I wonder now, given the depth and thought provoking subject matter of this book, if I haven’t been a little hasty. I might try something else. Actually, I could probably find something on Brooks’s shelves…
Okay, unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past couple of months, you will know that Tom Hanks, the actor, is now Tom Hanks, the writer. It's a biOkay, unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past couple of months, you will know that Tom Hanks, the actor, is now Tom Hanks, the writer. It's a bit of a paradox: Because Tom Hanks is an A list actor I wanted to read this book, and because Tom Hanks is an A list actor I feel a little disappointed by it. Perhaps Tom needed to do a JK Rowling and publish via a pseudonym.
Anyway, as the title suggests this is a collection of short stories. I don’t usually read short story collections, and the last couple I picked up remain firmly in my ‘did-not-finish’ pile. So, firstly, the format might be influencing my rating as I can’t be sure how good this collection is compared to others.
Most of the stories are quite long. You do get a good sense of the characters in each. I had no trouble picturing them and thought Tom did a roaring job when it came to characterisation in each shorter format story. However, I must confess that quite often I pictured Tom himself as the leading male characters. As I listened via audiobook (and yes, it’s read by Tom Hanks, the actor and now audiobook reader) it’s difficult not to picture Tom in the roles.
There is also a good balance of comedy and drama/tragedy. More often than not, the stories contain both. I found myself chuckling quite a lot and, though I didn’t cry, a couple of the stories are very poignant. The stand out for me in this arena was ‘Christmas Eve 1953’, which starts out as a gentle story about a family getting ready for Santa’s arrival and turns into the harsh reality of war and PTSD.
“Go See Costas’’ was also very good. I felt Hanks used its historical time settings and situations to highlight the parallels of current politics.
There were some stories not so memorable, however, and not all the plots captured my attention fully. I found myself being distracted and bored with some stories' tedious descriptive passages.
I have a friend who is big on descriptive writing and she always points out how important it is -- perhaps Tom has been speaking with her. Unfortunately, for me, it did feel like Tom was reading out his grocery list at times.
All the stories are stand-alone, but there’s three stories that feature the same group of friends and they’re all very entertaining but in a bubblegum disposable type of way. The characters and their adventures read like an American sitcom.
The whole book’s tone feels very American actually. Tom includes culturally diverse characters with a streak of patriotism included. (I’m not saying this is horrid; it’s not at all ‘we’re superior Americans’ but rather an undercurrent of ‘I’m proud of my country’ -- which is nice.)
A typewriter features in every story. A couple of times it's central to the plot and story, but a couple of times the machines are merely mentioned in passing and have zero reason for their inclusion.
Tom Hanks actually wrote this on a typewriter, an idea, in this day and age, that I find incredible. I mean, I couldn’t even write this review without deleting words and editing like a madwoman. It’s a habit I’ve (and 90% of the population, I assume) gotten into when it comes to writing, and the thought of now banging something out on a manual typewriter amazes me.
There is one story particularly, ‘These are the Meditation of My Heart’ which romanticises the machine and it wouldn’t surprise me if it starts a trend with hipsters around the world. (I can imagine the Instagram posts -- a typewriter with a sheet of paper still sitting in it, the words of an inspirational quote typed upon it, an out of focus coffee and cat in the background...)
I don’t think I’ll search the antique stores for one though. Other than being in love with my delete button, my first job was in a typing pool using a manual typewriter, so any romance I could have found was eroded during those years. (Or else I'll buy one and it will sit in the corner gathering dust beside the diaries I insist on buying each January before discarding them for my phone.)
Oddly, given that I always enjoy his movies, I didn’t enjoy Tom's narration. His voice seriously started to grate on my nerves after a while. He drawls in a way I’ve never noticed before. And incredibly, seeing he wrote them, I felt his missed the comedic timing on some scenes. I think I’d recommend reading it instead. This was the only advantage of the short story format actually -- I could easily take a break between the stories.
As I said, it's Tom Hanks so it's hard to judge (or easy to judge, whichever way you look at it) but I think I’ll give this book a 3 ½ out of 5....more
This is a debut novel? Wow. I will only assume that Kali Napier has had extensive experience in some other area of writing because The Secrets of OceaThis is a debut novel? Wow. I will only assume that Kali Napier has had extensive experience in some other area of writing because The Secrets of Ocean’s Edge is an impressive piece of Australian literature.
Set in 1932, WW1 is still affecting many of its characters either physically, mentally or financially. With the country in the grips of a depression, Ernie Hass and his family have been forced off their wheat farm in the Western Australian region of Perenjori. Ernie’s big idea is to settle in Dongarra, a small coastal town, and open up a guesthouse for tourists. Going reluctantly along for the ride is his wife, Lilly, and their daughter, with a very Aussie sounding nickname, perfect for the time, of Girlie.
Both Ernie and Lilly have secrets, just as the title suggests, and both imagine Dongarra could be their big chance to start afresh. Unfortunately, it’s soon apparent that not only will some secrets they both know be revealed to Dongarra’s other residents, but also the secrets they are hiding from each other.
In fact, Dongarra, rather than alleviating their anxieties, adds to them, with its small town penchant for gossip, racism, sexism and as much classism as you can find in Australia. We'll soon learn that simple things such as CWA meetings, golf tournaments, and fairs can be fraught with danger.
Also thrown into the mix to complicate the Hass family’s life is Lilly’s brother, Tommy. Tommy is suffering from severe PTSD and his behaviour could be described as erratic at best.
Obviously Napier doesn’t reveal all the characters’ secrets immediately but, by the three quarter mark, we know enough to realise that all is not going to end well. Napier builds the tension with a deft hand and this is probably my favourite thing about the book.
The secrets of the title are many and varied. Napier covers tough issues: sexual abuse/rape, child abuse, adultery, arson, extortion. The book can be quite harrowing at times.
Australia’s history is put under the spotlight too. Other than the serious subjects, such as our treatment of our Indigenous peoples and the effects of the depression, the inclusion of the Great Emu War excited me hugely. I know, I’m frivolous, but the hilarity of that ‘campaign’ is one of my favourite things ever, so any book including it gets an extra star from me. (I must point out that Napier does not make the emu war humourous in any way and, instead, shows the heartbreak of the farmers battle to eradicate the emus who were decimating their crops.)
This book is definitely a piece of literature and would be perfect for older students to study. Although historical, many themes reflect modern problems. One in particular that I couldn’t help thinking about is America's need for gun control. The ease of obtaining firearms in 1932 was disturbing, especially for Tommy, who is in an extremely fragile mental state.
The one problem I had with the book is that I didn’t particularly like many of the characters. Lilly and Ernie in particular had no redeeming features, and it was difficult for me to feel sympathy for their plights at times. Yes, we all have flaws, but...
Overall, however, Napier’s superior writing kept me reading to find out their fate, but I did remove a star from my rating for this. Although, I still highly recommend the book.
I confess to not particularly liking rural romance (or chook lit, which never ceases to make me chuckle) but happily The Grazier’s Wife turned out to I confess to not particularly liking rural romance (or chook lit, which never ceases to make me chuckle) but happily The Grazier’s Wife turned out to be more of a family saga, with even a sprinkling of historical romance to satisfy me.
I picked The Grazier's Wife because Barbara Hannay wrote it. I haven’t read any of her recent books (I’m pretty sure I must have read one or two of her older Mills & Boons’ titles somewhere along the line) but I thought I should make more of an effort, seeing as she lives not too far from where I live. The Grazier’s Wife is also set in this area. So instead of the urge to go on a holiday or add a place to my travel destination bucket list as I read, I felt a reassuring familiarity.
The plot also had a bit of a familiar ring to it, I'll admit, although I doubt it was deliberate.
It involves three generation of the Drummond family.
Hugh is the current owner of Ruthven Downs cattle station. His wife, Jackie, is organising a huge birthday party for him. When arranging for a mirror to be restored as a gift for his birthday, she discovers hidden letters and pages of a diary belonging to Hugh’s mother, Stella. Stella’s story then gets told in flashback form. Stella’s would be my favourite of all the main storylines. We get to read about her time as a nurse, stationed in Singapore during World War 2, and her life afterwards on the property with Hugh’s father.
The girl who restores the mirror for Jackie, Alice, has another major role in the book. Alice has just moved to the Tablelands (to Burralea, the only fictional place in the book, which doesn’t seem to make sense, why not just say she’s moved to Yungaburra?) and meets Seth, Jackie and Hugh’s son. They have instant attraction, but Alice’s past prevents their relationship moving forward.
Hugh and Jackie’s daughter, Flora, is mentioned briefly throughout the book. Her situation mirrors her grandmother’s in some ways, and I’d like to see how it could be resolved in the 21st century. I will have to wait though, it seems, as this storyline is not wrapped up neatly at the end of the book, prompting me to assume there will be a sequel.
Stella’s other child and Hugh’s sister, Deb, also plays a minor role in the book and could quite possibly be explored in a future edition.
As I said, Stella’s storyline was the one I was most drawn into. I believed her conflict much more than any of others. In fact, I couldn’t see why Jackie was particularly worried about the revelations of the letters and diary she found. Would anyone be worried about such a thing in 2016?
Alice’s conflict that keeps her from being with Seth also seemed a little weak. Again, I think it would have worked in an earlier time period, but it’s 2016 and there’s a counsellor on every corner.
The beginning of the book had a few time jumps that confused me, so next time I’d recommend another flashback or something similar than how Hannay presented it.
I also grew a little tired of Hannay’s constant mentions of food. (You can take the Mills & Boons out of the girl...) They weren’t as lyrical or descriptive as I would expect. At times it felt like I was simply reading a grocery shopping list.
I also took half a star off for all the romance in the book being ‘young’. All Stella’s romance was when she was young, with only the tiny mention of when she grew older. We got Seth and Alice’s intimate details but nothing of their parents or aunt. Cue my sarcastic font: Publishers know best though, and that’s what people want. No one wants old people sex or falling in love...
I have to add at least half a star for the ending though. I was not expecting that at all. It was incredibly cute.
All in all I'd recommend this book, especially for people searching for Australian characters and location. I live in a beautiful place, this I won't argue with.
One of my favourite books of 2015 was Pamela Hart’s The Soldier’s Wife. I gave it 5/5 and added it to my ‘favourites’ shelf. So, how does its sequel, One of my favourite books of 2015 was Pamela Hart’s The Soldier’s Wife. I gave it 5/5 and added it to my ‘favourites’ shelf. So, how does its sequel, The War Bride stack up?
The Soldier’s Wife introduced the character of Tom McBride, a character I fell in love with whilst reading that first book. I was so ecstatic to see him again featured, but…
I didn’t love The War Bride as much as its predecessor, and surprisingly, if I had to narrow it down to one thing I would probably say that it was Tom.
I just didn’t feel like Tom, the chapters written from his point of view, his plot, or his interactions with the other lead characters held my interest as much as I expected. I didn’t feel his chemistry with the leading lady, Margaret, either. (I thought his and The Soldier’s Wife’s Ruby's scenes were more passionate.)
On saying that, however, there’s a lot to love with The War Bride, and Pamela Hart’s writing.
This book is set post-WW1, a few years later than The Soldier’s Wife. Englishwoman Margaret is the war bride of the title. She married Aussie Frank in haste before he was shipped off to the front (and his possible early grave). Finally, once the war is over, she travels to Australia to be reunited with her husband. Only, due to a series of misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication, she arrives in Sydney to be informed her husband has abandoned her to live with a woman he was in a relationship with prior to meeting Margaret. This is where my previously beloved Tom steps in, assisting Margaret with the problems she will now face living alone in a new country.
One of the things I admired about The Soldier’s Wife was that a lot of the characters were neither completely good or bad. I noticed this again. You feel for all the characters and their situations and their decisions and it’s difficult to become firmly #teamTom or #teamFrank.
While The Soldier’s Wife’s Ruby coped with a myriad of social issues, Margaret too faces bigotry and ignorance that seems so incredibly silly in 2016. (What will life be like in 2116?!!?)
The inclusion of the Catholic versus Anglican versus Protestant stupidity is handled well and serves as a good lesson to those judging others today because of their chosen religion.
The difficulty in gaining a divorce in the early 20th century is a revelation, and I enjoyed Hart’s research in this arena and its inclusion into the storyline.
Other topics covered include homosexuality, sex before marriage, lack of employment benefits, child welfare, and PTSD. Again, like in The Soldier’s Wife, I like how Hart still makes the novel’s narrative flow effortlessly when including these things.
The book is set in Sydney and I thoroughly enjoyed all the descriptions of the city, in particular the beaches and ferries. The emergence in Australia of swimming and surf lifesaving was great fun.
If there is one other thing I’d like to change it would be the time it took to reach the climax. I think it was around the 90% mark on my ereader when a couple of events occurred (no telling, spoilers, although I did think some of it was obvious) that caused me to gasp and cry. Upon reflection, I think the events straight after this mark should have taken a touch more time to sort themselves out. The ending seemed quite rushed.
The War Bride is still a fab read, and I still highly recommend it to everyone, especially those who are looking for a strong read in the historical women’s lit genre. And if Hart wants to write another ‘sequel’ starring Jane, I would happily read it.
(I must stop calling it a sequel. I just want to point out The War Bride is completely stand alone, and you don’t have to read The Soldier’s Wife to understand or enjoy this book.)
Lee at ReadWriteWish
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