Vintage Shoes by Caroline Cox

"Never judge a book by its cover...." so the saying goes. Am I the only one who completely disagrees with this? Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not the only way to choose your reads, but it's a massive factor in whether it gets a second glance. Sometimes I spot a book on a shop shelf and I already know I'm going to buy it, even before I've read the blurb or checked the price. This was absolutely the case with Vintage Shoes by Caroline Cox. Just look it at - you already know it's beautiful inside. Clearly a coffee table book, this is also a fascinating insight into the world of shoes. For some of us, footwear is just that; something to protect our feet from the great outdoors. For others, shoes are an obsession. There are women out there (and undoubtedly men too!) who treat their extensive collection of stilettos, sandals and boots with the same love and attention they would their pets or children. I think (hope) I'm not quite that bad, although I do boast a collection of over 60 pairs at last count (and that's not including flipflips). Although my affection for shoes is largely what drew me to this title in the first place, I've also found it an interesting, informative read. Caroline Cox covers every era, highlights iconic styles and designers and offers a guideline as to what you should be looking out for if you'd like to start collecting vintage footwear. Everything from embellished Edwardian shoes to 50s Roger Vivier courts are inside, and I found myself intrigued by the stories behind the designs.

I'm sure this book isn't for everyone, but anyone who is a lover of fashion will definitely enjoy it, especially with the resurgance of retro styling that's taking over the catwalks this season. At £16.99 it's quite pricey - in fact I probably could have bought a pair of shoes instead! Having said that, I'm pleased to be able to add it to my collection and know I'll be taking it down from the shelf again and again, even if it's just to cast envious looks at the beautiful shoes inside!

Cobwebs and Cream Teas by Mary Mackie

This funny little volume follows author Mary Mackie as she moves into Felbrigg Hall, a National Trust property in Norfolk, with her husband Chris. Chris has recently scored the job of Houseman at Felbrigg and, little do they know, the experience is going to change their lives - not least since they'll be moving into Felbrigg itself, albeit into a converted flat within one wing (the majority of the house is open to the public). I love anything to do with English manor houses or country homes, so when I stumbled across this on Amazon and the reviews all gave it a thumbs up, I thought I'd give it a go.  It's a great little read; charming and amusing. Mary gives a great insight into what it's like to live and work for a National Trust property - Houseman must mean 'a bit of pretty much everything' in at least one language, because Chris is often attempting to fix the roof, politely removing trespassers, rearranging furniture, hosting late-night music events, mucking in with the washing up in the tea rooms....you get the idea. Although Mary isn't employed by the NT, living on site she can't help but get involved ....perhaps a little more than she'd like sometimes!

The result is a witty diary-style read that leaves you wanting to visit Felbrigg asap. Mary's tales of rude visitors who insist on ignoring the signs, excited school children and the foreign students who come to stay at the 'base camp' are all very light-hearted and can't fail to raise a smile. Although her tone is very dry, her love and enthusiasm for the property shines through - you can tell that both she and her husband adore Felbrigg.

Her writing style is slightly off at times but it didn't spoil my enjoyment. I genuinely felt envious when she described taking a walk in the acres of grounds in the freshly fallen snow...it conjured up such a romantic image that I felt quite sulky to be living in a flat in London!

I can't dash off to Felbrigg any time soon, so I've done the next best thing and ordered the sequel to Cobwebs and Cream Teas - Dry Rot and Daffodils. I'm sure you'll be hearing about it shortly....

One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner

"The 7.44 train from Brighton to London. Carriages packed with commuters. One woman occupies her time observing people around her. Opposite, a girl applies her make-up. Across the aisle, a husband strokes his wife's hand. Further along, a woman flicks through a glossy magazine. Then, abruptly, everything changes: a man collapses, the train is stopped, an ambulance called. And, for three passengers that particular morning, life will never be the same again."

So, a life-changing morning aboard a train. I've travelled the same journey by train for over four years now, and for that reason I think this book struck a chord. It puts a completely different perspective on those pesky train delays where the weary announcement comes across the tannoy system "This train is delayed due a passenger taken ill on a previous train". To be honest, it's never occurred to me that the passenger taken ill aboard the train could be seriously ill, or worse. And that's what this book does very well - it takes an ordinary situation that thousands of people find themselves in each morning and, just as you're getting comfortably into the spot-on carraige observations of the narrating character, turns it into a nightmarish event. Not for everyone, mind, for most it's just an early morning annoyance that they don't think twice about. What follows, on the remaining 390 pages, is the fall out from this incident.
I almost feel bad for typing it, considering the majority of the subject matter, but I really enjoyed this book. The writing style isn't dazzling, and there was one character that just didn't sit well with me, but overall there's something about it that kept me reading. I disagree with the review on the front cover that it's a 'real page turner' - for me, the main event had already happened and I was just interested to see the after effects. It's not gripping or captivating, but there's something about it that's very realistic which makes it strangely beautiful.
The main issue in this story is loss - and how it can affect people in different ways, the resulting practicalities that have to be dealt with, and the bonds that are forged when people suffer it together. It's not a light read, but it's not high literature either. Best avoided if you're heading off to sunnier climes for a break - I think this one is best enjoyed with a cup of tea on a dark, winter evening.
I won't be reading it again - it's not that kind of book - but I'm glad I discovered it. On a completely superficial note it has a lovely front cover and I now covet every one of those dainty little tea cups - *heads off to the nearest parade of charity shops for a tea cup spree*.

Lost in The Distant Hours...

So Kate Morton's latest tome, The Distant Hours, arrived on my doorstep last Friday. Curiously, my copy seems to have a misprint on the book jacket and spine - in the picture 'The Distant Hours' appears in yellow, on mine it doesn't appear at all, unless you hold the cover in a certain light where you can see it has been lightly embossed. At first I was a bit irritated by its less than perfect cover but actually, I quite like it. Besides, nothing was going to stop me from opening it up and getting started straight away.

Anyway, enough of that, onto the book. I don't think I can actually write a review that will do it justice yet - I literally buried my head in it all weekend and only finished it a couple of hours ago. As you know from an earlier post, I loved The House at Riverton (Kate Morton's debut novel) and wasn't sure she could top it. Well, with The Distant Hours she's done just that. It's so richly layered with sub-plots that every time I turned a page there seemed to be a new twist. The majority of the story is told from the perspective of Edith Burchill, a young, bookish woman who credits a favourite novel from her childhood - The True History of The Mud Man by Raymond Blythe - for her love of the written word, and her subsequent job in publishing. Little does she know that her own life is going to become intertwined with that of the author's surviving family - the 'Sisters Blythe' -  Persephone, Seraphina and Juniper, and the home they share, Milderhurst Castle. The castle itself dominates the story - beautifully dark, gothic, strangely controlling, it seems to lurk in the background of every line in the book, and yet many times I longed to be there, standing right infront of it, exploring the 'veins' and the Muniment Room. I can't begin to go into the details right now, I think I'm going to have to come back and post a proper review when I've had time to think about it, but I savoured this book from start to finish. The characters were so real and, at points, so tragically flawed, that I became lost in their stories. Beautifully written, an utter delight to read, I will definitely be revisiting this in the near future. By the time I got to the final pages, I was pleasantly surprised by a few last-minute twists, but absolutely gutted that I'd finished the book. Read it, get lost in it, then read it again - a definite must-read.

You can't beat a good bargain...

When I was still a student at uni, I had to spend so much money on text books that I bought my reading books from charity shops. As much as I love the thrill of a brand new book, I still love to get my hands on a good bargain so, on Tuesday, I spent a good hour or two mooching around the charity shops where I used to live.
They were slightly pricier than I remembered but I still got my hands on a couple of fab bargains, especially as the local library was selling off a ton of paperbacks for just 10p. I tend to end up buying books that I'd never normally look twice at when they're that cheap, so I'm interested to see what these titles turn out like.


My top four book bargains!

I picked up four books for 40p:
Overheard in a Dream by Torey Hayden (mainly because I liked the title)
The Traveller by John Twelve Hawks (because how can you ignore a book when it's written by someone called John Twelve Hawks)
One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner
The Summer of Secrets & Second Chances by Martina Reilly (an omnibus set)

So I felt quite chuffed with my loot. Naturally, after treating myself to some new books, the obvious thing to do was to head to Starbucks and get stuck in...




Is there any better way to enjoy a good book?

I started on One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner and was immediately hooked in - it's based on a incident that happens one morning on a train and how it affects the people involved. As a commuter, it's something that both myself and my travelling buddy have mused about on the Monday morning jaunt to work. Sarah's writing style is easy to read, descriptive and emotive, and I think I'm really going to enjoy this one. I'll post a full review when I'm done.

Hooray...a new Kate Morton book is on its way!

To celebrate the release of Kate Morton's latest book, The Distant Hours, I'm rereading The House at Riverton. This was the first book of her's that I read, and I was absolutely enthralled from start to finish. The two main characters, Emmeline and Hannah, live a life of make believe and games as children at their impressive summer house of Riverton, but as they grow older, their closeness is marred by their increasingly different lifestyles...and their love of the same man.
This is a *very* diluted description of the story, which uncovers the deepest, darkest family secrets thought to have been buried long ago with the sisters themselves. I loved the way that the majority of the story is told through the eyes of pensioner Grace Bradley, who served the sisters at Riverton as a young girl. The story has everything; intrigue, love, celebrity and the dark side of passion, while invoking the glamour of eras gone by brilliantly.
There is so much tragedy and secrecy in this novel that I couldn't put it down - I burrowed under a blanket on the sofa and drank endless cups of tea whilst devouring each page until it was over - and then sulked because I'd finished it so quickly!
I am a bit too excited about The Distant Hours, and have already pre-ordered it on Amazon - I can't wait to get my hands on it later this week, I just hope it lives up to The House at Riverton and Morton's other previous title, The Forgotten Garden, which I enjoyed just as much.

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

"Two little girls are missing. Both are seven years old and have been missing for at least sixteen hours"

And so the story begins. I picked up this book for a bargainous £1 from the WH Smith clearance aisle - a real place of wonder where I can waste many an hour that should be spent on food shopping. I was intrigued by the mystery and couldn't argue with the price, so hence it found its way into my collection.

Although I quite liked the author's style - she flits between different character view points with ease, and each character is complex with a rich, layered history that ensures they're believable - there was something about it that left me a bit bored. The story is definitely intriguing - it focuses around the hunt for Calli, who hasn't spoken a word since she was four, and her best friend Petra, who both seemingly disappear without a trace in the early hours of the morning - although the reader immediately knows what's happening to Calli, as the story starts from her perspective. Perhaps this is what put me off somewhat - it seemed too simple, everything was spelled out for me before I could guess, so much so that the twist didn't really surprise me in the way it should. Along the way, the book explores a number of issues including dysfunctional families, domestic abuse, family secrets, lost love and the true meaning of friendship. I enjoyed the girls' friendship - it seemed genuine and innocent, and the bond between siblings, Calli and Ben. I still don't know what it is that I didn't like, but I found myself feeling relieved to be nearing the end, and not because I wanted to find out what happened!

Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it, but I don't think I'll be reading this one again.

Miracles on the Water by Tom Nagorski

This has to be the best book I have ever read. Tom Nagorski documents a World War II maritime disaster - the sinking of The City of Benares by a German U-boat (U-48) - in this meticulously researched and moving story. The City of Benares was a passenger liner that was carrying evacuee children from Britain to Canada, as part of the Children's Overseas Reception Board programme.

Miracles on the Water is completely different to my usual choice of reading material, and there's good reason for this. As a torpedo-man in the second world war, my Grandad was aboard many different destoyers during his time in the navy. Never one to talk about his experiences, he casually mentioned one day that he was on board the destroyer HMS Hurricane when it raced to the rescue of The City of Benares and I immediately wanted to know more. I wasn't familiar with the disaster and, not wanting to push him too much, I headed straight to Amazon to see if anything had been published about it. The next day, Tom Nagorski's book was in my hands and I was already lost in the story.

The fact that it's a true story makes every tiny detail so much more poignant. Within a couple of chapters, I'd forgotten all about my quest to learn more about the Hurricane's role, instead I was transfixed by the tale unfolding before my eyes. The author has a personal interest in the story, as his great Uncle was one of the survivors. This shines through in his writing - it comes across as honest and respectful, but with huge attention to detail and as many personal experiences as possible. You find yourself experiencing the splendour and luxury of the liner through the eyes of the children, delighting in the endless supply of ice-cream and chicken after the rationing back home. The wonderful adventure quickly turns into a nightmare when a torpedo hits the ship - and the children and private passengers are soon boarding the lifeboats. Due to the horrendous weather conditions, the real danger started here. Lifeboats tipped over, were deluged with water and many children, some as young as five or six, found themselves at the mercy of the sea.

The horror and panic that gradually unfolds as the passengers realise the hopelessness of their situation can't fail to touch your heart, neither can the many miracles on the water that were performed by so many. I can't describe how moving I found the endless accounts of unbelievable heroism - one of which bought me to tears, and believe me, I'm not a big crier! There's also a spread of black and white photographs in the centre - I found myself poring over these long after I'd finished the book.

I don't want to go into too much detail incase you're not familiar with the story, but needless to say this book is one I will never forget. I can't imagine what my Grandad, and many others aboard the HMS Hurricane, were faced with on that awful night so long ago - it doesn't surprise me that he chooses not to talk about it.
This book manages to capture the enduring spirit, determination and heroism of a group of people that many have no knowledge of - I feel priviledged to have learned their story. This is more than a story of history and wartime politics, it's a beautiful tribute to those who didn't make it, as well as those who survived to tell the tale, and I cannot recommend it enough. If schools taught kids about this kind of thing, I wouldn't have taken Geography!

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

I walked past this book a couple of times in my local Tesco before finally giving in and popping a copy into my basket - I'm so pleased I did, this is a really gripping page-turner that I just couldn't put down.

As the title suggests, the story looks at the bond between sisters, while raising the age-old question of how well do we really know our relatives? There are two main characters in this story, Beatrice, who jets home to London from New York as soon as she hears that her younger sister, Tess, is missing, and Tess herself, who we get to know through Beatrice's relentless hunt for the truth.

I absolutely loved the way Ms Lupton weaves the story; I'm not usually a massive fan of flashbacks, but here they work really well to shape Tess's character and her mindset in the final days before her disappearance. Even when you feel like you've got to know Tess and Beatrice, the author is already unveiling another detail that leaves you on the edge of the seat. There are also numerous twists that we uncover through Beatrice's eyes, living each shocking detail with her.The story deals with guilt, love and fearless determination, while Ms Lupton creates a dark, sinister world that seems simultaneously threatening and confused.
I thought I had it worked out at one point, but the story is so beautifully written that the ending had me reeling -  Beatrice finds herself faced with the truth of what happened to Tess in the most disturbing way imaginable. Disturbing, dark, but brilliant, I would definitely recommend this one.

Sister is Rosamund Lupton's debut novel and I'm already excited to read her next offering - I just hope she doesn't keep us waiting too long! Plus, it's a real bargain on Amazon at the moment, so make sure you grab a copy!

And so it begins...

A book blog may not be the most original idea anyone's ever had - just a few minutes of trawling through the internet has already shown me that, but I've decided to add another to the list all the same. As a journalist, I love to read and write so this is nothing more than a natural partnership between two of my favourite things; a place where I can exclaim, moan and delight over the books that I've been devouring. I always have a book on the go, sometimes two or three, and am fascinated by people who, like my brother, simply don't read. I can't fathom a world without the wonderful escapism of a good book - I treat my battered copy of Pride and Prejudice like a comfort blanket and find it enormously reassuring to know it's always there waiting for me after a bad day (that and a large glass of wine).

And so, instead of boring friends and family with my latest favourite read, I'm sharing my book geekery with the internet. Who knows whether anyone will read it or not....actually, I'm going to make sure my mum does; at least that way she'll know which books I've already read, which will make her Christmas shopping a whole lot easier...