MAILBOX MONDAY/IT'S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING?

 

Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Suko's Notebook in December.

 

After a whopping big mailbox last week I am in a drought season again. No books came into the house but I certainly have plenty to keep me going this week.

 

 

It's Monday What Are you Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  I am in the middle of reading Every Secret Thing which was the second book sent by Susanna Kearsley (I mistakenly said The Rose Garden! sorry). Finding it absolutely fascinating.

I have had a very stressful two weeks with my husband in hospital and work piling up by the day.
Reading had to take a back seat but in between doctor appointments and waiting for someone to show up, reading does get done.

We are having a bit of rain right now, very welcome weather as it was so very hot and dry.

 

 

 

THE WINTER SEA by SUSANNA KEARSLEY

 

I was very late to read Diana Gabaldon. I loved her books and then came to Susanna Kearsley - she sent me two books and this is the first of the lot. Reading this book I was wondering  whether I was reading about  Susanna Kearsley or about Carrie the author in this story! The story was so authentic and realistic that I actually felt that this was Kearsley writing her story and not a novel.

 

We have Carrie a successful author of repute writing historical fiction and through a series of "happenings" which one does realize is part of a bigger picture we find Sophie through a reason of deduction an ancestor of Carrie and then we have the twist to the story where Carrie actually writes her story and then subsequently realizes through research that what she writes is what actually happened in real life. The series of her writing this story slowly unravels Sophie's entire life story from its very tortuous beginning to its very sad middle and to its glorious end. More would be spoilers because I doubt anyone reading the book would have ever imagined how the story ended.  My imagination would definitely never be up for it and I loved it.

 

The uprising of 1708 in all its gory detail - the futility of the uprising and all the historical detail is beautifully descriptive. On top of that the contrast in chapters where we go from the present day ruins of Slains and all other places of interest and how they actually were in the 1700s makes for a beautiful story.

 

The story is poignant, rich in detail and so warm that I am definitely looking up the rest of the books from this author.

 

Thank you Susanna Kearsley for the books.

 

 

 

I'LL NEVER BE YOUNG AGAIN by DAPHNE DU MAURIER

A book which I had never heard of before. First published in 1932 it has a slightly old fashioned feel to it as well.  We have Dick - young, impetuous and the son of a very famous writer. The father seems cold and indifferent and very distant. Mother follows father's instructions and Dick is always left out in the cold. He longs for recognition and affection but does not get it from his parents. After a falling out, he leaves home and stays away from home for years.  Dick when he leaves home is desperate and wants to end it all, but at the back of his mind is always the hope that some good Samaritan will come along and save him in the nick of time.

This does happen and Jake becomes the pivot of Dick's life. The story continues with adventures on the high seas, adventures in Scandinavia ending with a tragedy and then his meeting a young American woman and life changes once more. This is not a happily ever after story anyway.

The story portrays Dick as selfish and self centred. Reading the novel one does not have any sympathy for the young man and in fact one can become a bit self righteous saying "serves him right"!  At the beginning of the story you can always put it down to the workings of an unmatured youngster but as the story unravels you realize you are dealing with a totally selfish man.

I've read a host of Du Maurier and found this totally strange. Strange and different.

MAILBOX MONDAY/IT'S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Suko's Notebook for the month of December.

After a drought I got some delightful books!

 

 

After The Pillars of the Earth I am a huge fan.

Next was a bonanza!!!! Christmas came very early in the form of Santa Claus alias Susanna Kearsley who sent me two books.

 

After The Shadowy Horses and Mariana and my plaintive cries that her books were not available in the Melbourne library when I was there, this was the result. I am so very happy over these gems.

 

 

 

Sorry the wording is blurred. The book is The Other Elizabeth Taylor by Nicola Beauman and was a win from Laura . Thank you ever so much for this book.

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  My reading this last week was very little. I finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett which was a huge tome and then I have just finished today I'll Never be Young Again by Daphne du Maurier.

This was a hardback published in 1932 and is her second novel. One that I had never ever heard about so I was curious to see what it was like. Review will follow.

I am dying to read The Winter Garden next but there are several books which I should finish first so maybe I will try to stay on the straight and narrow and finish what I've started!

My Christmas shopping and distribution of gifts are over. The children were delighted with their gifts and I enjoyed the whole experience myself.

 

 

 

 

 

Photos not very clear as they are taken from a phone. They couldn't wait till I got the stuff out of the car. Finally the distribution took place from the car!!!

CAT'S EYE by MARGARET ATWOOD

It has been a week of little or no reading and this book was read over several days and I dont think I did it justice like that.

The book took me back to my school days and it brought into focus how vicious young children can be. Elaine is just one of a group and how she is ostracized, humiliated, mentally tortured by the machinations of three very young children is unbelievable. What is also unbelievable is how we want always to be accepted and admired and how we are ever willing to put up with a lot of heartache in order that we can be part of a pack and not a solitary person.  What mental trauma is endured just to be accepted by all is one of the highlights of the story.

This was not a happy, easy read for me. It was tough and I found it difficult when I saw how Elaine's parents seemed oblivious to their daughter's plight. It is true that Elaine kept things  well hidden and always  overt, but I do hope my parenting skills were better and I was more in a position to protect my own children, rather than leave them unguarded in situations which were way beyond their comprehension or understanding.  I started questioning myself as to whether I was guilty of the same sins of being blind and I was very uncomfortable with the feeling it brought about!

The story goes on gradually into Elaine's adult life and her success as a painter as well as a mother of two girls.

The book is an introspective one and one that would make you think. I've only read The Handmaid's Tale before this one and that was dystopian. It was also not an easy read but it was certainly easier than this one.

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by KEN FOLLETT

Set in the 12th century in the fictitious town of Knightsbridge this is a whopping good read. Not just for lovers of medieval times or historical fiction but for anyone who wants a good story. A cathedral is the centerpiece of the story for me and how the fascination of a builder - in this book not just one but a couple of them evolve into a major storyline which will keep you glued to this 1100 page book from the first page to the last.

The story is long, twisted and complicated. There is so much love, hatred, lust, envy, hunger for power amongst not just the knights and kings but also amongst the monks (that was a good one for me!) and the machinations of one seemingly very simple Prior who was in essence a good man but who wanted to do more for his people and in a very simple, unassuming way did exactly what he wanted to get what he wanted.

We have simple family units of Tom and Agnes and their two children, we then have Ellen coming into the picture (looked on as eccentric by some and as a witch by others), we have Aliena and Richard and in Aliena's case a catalyst for so much of the violence which erupts wherever she is,  we have the power hungry Hamleigh family - vicious to the last, out to screw everyone out for whatever they can get, determined to be Earls of Shiring and do better than anyone else and to do this rule by just the power of terror, we have rival Bishops and Priors who support one king against another, just depending on which way a good wind is blowing and all with the ulterior motive of holding on to their own wealth and more importantly increasing it and at the same time hopefully bring down whoever they feel is a threat to them.

A very raw, emotional read. Makes you glad you are not a serf or a peasant in the 12th century where your current Lord can walk into your mill, your house or your fields and take off with whatever he likes, including your daughters or your wife. Makes you very glad you are an independent human being not dependent on someone's goodwill, support or guidance.  A descriptive book which details life in the 12th century - the domestic trivia of agriculture, dairy, herding and housewifery was intrinsic to the story - on top of that we have detailed descriptions of building practices and how a mighty cathedral is actually built using very simple, primitive tools and then we have the most important human element of people being added to the mix and then you have a wonderfully unusual story.

It took me a while to get through this book but I enjoyed every page of it.

MAILBOX MONDAY/IT'S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Nothing new came into my Mailbox but I am trying to play catch up. I am expecting a whole lot of
new reads tomorrow but that will go into next week's Mailbox.

Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Suko's Notebook for December.

This meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

I started on Ken Follett's book

Its 1000 odd pages and I am now in the mid 600s. Its absolutely fantastic. An amazing read so far. A mix of Wolf Hall and Sarah Dunant styles!!!! Everything else has got kept aside - Michael Ondaatjie and Julian Rathbone are still half done only.