H. R. F Keating - Under a Monsoon Sky

My mother in law bought this book but couldn't get on with it so it was passed to us unread. Actually it's not a bad little book, easily and quite quickly read in a few hours - I really ought to counter that by saying I'm a fast reader, but even so....

If you like the Alexander McCall Smith books then you'll enjoy this. In fact Mr Smith writes a preface in my copy of this book in praise of the author. The detective story is a simple (but a tad drawn out in my opinion) tale of a police trial, but it's the setting in India that adds the necessary detail. Cultural differences from our western ideas are an important layer, as ordinary Indian life (and it's staggering inequalities) is painted along with the traditions and superstitions around the monsoon season as well as the etiquette of Indian society. I think it's these details that lift the story from unremarkable to a good read. It's interesting to muse after reading it on how the story would have ended differently had it been set in this country.

Would I read another Inspector Ghote book? Possibly.. As I said not a bad read, but I'm not a huge crime novel reader. I usually enjoy them if I've found one in a holiday cottage or been given one as in this instance, they're just not my 1st choice when it comes to fiction.

Carole Matthews - A Cottage by the Sea

It's not that I've not read. I have. But family stresses means I've either read more articles, magazines and blogs (stress = short attention span as well as shortness of time) or I've read things that link in with my current studies which seem too niche for a general blog about books.

But a series of bank holidays recently have allowed for a little more relaxation and a tackling of the book pile.

I found this book in Oxfam as we were donating a bag of books to them. It's fatal to 'just have a quick look' isn't it? But I have to recommend the joys of a good charity bookshop. Novels for under £3 (that's less than the price of a magazine these days) that once read can be re-donated to do good all over again.

But of this book - need something romantic and light for the beach this summer? Do find space in your bag for this one. That almost sounded derogatory didn't it. This book isn't a trashy airport novel of fluffy characters and predictable plot though. I found this a well thought out book which drew you in from the beginning with believable characters, a good pace of story but not something too taxing or gloomy for a sunny day when you don't want to be struggling to make sense of too many people and their relationship to each other.

I'm tempted to look up more Carole Matthews books on the strength of this one, ready for my real holiday later in the year.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I was offered the chance to borrow this book and although I might have bypassed it in a shop I'm glad I had a chance to read it. I've been slightly off usual activities with a sprained foot this week so I've had an ideal excuse to sit with foot elevated and read.

This novel is set just after the 2nd world war and deals with the German occupation of Guernsey. The story is told in the form of letters between the main characters, but it's richly described both in terms of action and plot and the characters are well fleshed out. Although the subject of war could be deeply harrowing, and it doesn't shy from the hardships and tragedy of the time, there are comic and lighter moments. The book bounces along at a nice pace and is easy reading. I inhaled it in one sitting - isn't it glorious when you can do that? Just sink deeply in to a book, lost in the story, and see it through til the end a few hours later. Ok I'm a fast reader.

If you're after a nice relaxing escapism novel then you'll really enjoy this one. The sort of book you don't want to end.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - Robin Sharma

This best selling book has been around for fifteen years. Non fiction, fiction, self help, it's not easy to catergorise, although bookshops obviously will, probably under New Age...But that's not meant to put you off. It's not a spiritual book although it sort of presents itself as such in order to tell the story, but it's not at odds with any religion or trying to get you to convert to anything in any way.

Written as fables within a fable its aim is to illustrate some principles for living. Told like a story to a friend so we too can listen in. Not entirely believable as there is some repetition and details that don't quite make sense. For example it's not explained how a remote tribe of people who no one local can find (although the foreign hero of the story does. Obviously) can live a simple life in the equivalent of mud huts but have access to a large library of modern books. There is a lot of repetition amongst speech so that phrases along the lines of 'if there's one thing I remember ' are said a lot which comes across as clumsy. In its defence and as a positive there is a lot to take in all under the guise of 'ancient' principles and although there are no formal exercises I did find myself taking a few notes and musing on some of the ideas.

Some of the chapters could be filed under productivity tools for hot shot business people, especially parts that touch on organisation and goal setting, although we could all do with some ideas for being more organised or getting more out of our days I think. Others are more about mindfulness and living in the present. Others again around the theme of self discipline, as you might expect from the monk in the title (so early rising, clean eatings, good habits etc)

I don't actually believe its possible to do everything it suggests. That would be overwhelming and probably annoying to those around you. Not to mention by the time you've done all the meditation, goal setting, physical and breathing exercises, journal writing etc etc you'd probably not have any time left to do the other things you're supposed to be doing. And as an aside - something I notice with all these sort of books - the hero and 'enlightened person' is always male. Possibly because a lot of women have family responsibilities etc so don't have time to wander off in search of the missing bits of their lives.

It's billed as a best seller and I've read good reviews about it and it's one of those books I felt I ought to be able to say I've read, but for me I'm not sure it lived up to its hype. I enjoyed it as a fable and there are some things to think about and maybe try out, but it didn't leave me entirely energised and raring to jump in to the world it promised. So not a truly terrible book but just not 5 star either

Knit Nordic and Sew Scandinavian

There is a huge interest currently in all things Scandinavian from tv dramas, fiction, homewares and decorating trends to sewing, knitting and fashion.It's well deserved as having visited Oslo in Norway I can say we have a lot more in common with our Nordic neighbours than we might suppose. Their art and culture has shades of our Celtic past and somehow there is a familiarity about much in their country. Yet there is enough new and old and traditional to delight and surprise us.

I have a vested interest in Knit Nordic as my dear friend Eline is the author so I want it to do well :-). I'm a basic knitter so I'm going to have to work hard and concentrate on these instructions to get them right, but if you are a more experienced knitter like my Mother in law who also has a copy, you'll find the things delightful to knit as she has testified. I have two lovely pot holders from the book :-)

The patterns are charted and based on traditional Norwegian designs but they've been used to create modern, useful things like iPad and phone holder and more quirky and unusual things like hot pants and a teddy bear. Maurice bear is a very clever design being knitted in one, but with the effect of wearing his own snowflake jumper - this design alone makes the book a worthwhile purchase. You'll find lots to delight in this book as well as some interesting history about Norwegian traditional knitting designs.

My mother in law gave me this lovely sewing book for Christmas. Sew Scandinavian is a colourful pretty book with some lovely ideas for makes for your own home and for gifts. I like that it has full sized patterns included. I feel there is a margin for going badly wrong with projects in books that want you to enlarge, print off and tape together patterns from them.

It's grouped around rooms of the home from sitting room to bathroom with items to make for each one. As ever the success of the project will depend on your choice of materials. A lot of the items in this book are very pink coloured which in large doses is a bit too pink for my taste but I can see plenty of projects to make with my own colour ideas. There are some clever techniques such as threading beads on to ribbon to create a handle on a small bag and clever use of material such as the use of towelling for a hot water bottle cover - these all could be ideas for recycling things you already have.

Both books make me want to scurry off to the workroom and get making :-)

Domestic Bliss - Rita Konig

A sweet little book about homemaking. It was originally printed in 2002 so is slightly dated, but it is a friendly feminine sort of read with chapters on the essential things like dealing with builders and doing the housework, to much nicer chapters on entertaining and how to create the little homely touches that turn our living spaces in to luxurious havens.

I've read other books on homemaking and they can be either very worthy - that much cleaning can't be good for us! - or patronising. This one manages to be neither. The advice and suggestions are common sense, but that doesn't mean there aren't some unique ideas.

It could make a nice present for a housewarming or a student leaving home.

Mystery of the a Yellow Room - Gaston Leroux

My mother in law hadn't got on with this book and didn't finish it so passed it to us to do as we wish (probably via Oxfam). A slim little novel of 212 pages it's a quick read so I settled down at the start of the Christmas break to have a go at it.

The author is more famously known for The Phantom Of The Opera but this is a crime novel complete with murder, a detective or two and lots of clues and red herrings. As he was born in 1869 it's an historical novel - he wrote it in 1907. I nearly wrote that its Edwardian but that would be wrong since it's set in France. According to the back of my copy Agatha Christie admired the book as a classic example of French detective fiction, and she is said to have been influenced by it. Leroux in turn admired Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe and modelled his detective on Sherlock Holmes and M Dupin respectively.

The hero detective character is said to be only 18 and as such lacks a little credibility, but it's not a bad story for that. It's quite a puzzle of a mystery and you wonder quite how it can be resolved, but it's very cleverness is part of its charm. It's relative shortness keeps up the interest as it rushes breathlessly to its conclusion.
Some twists and unexpected turns keeps you interested to the last page. And no I'm not going to tell you who did it..