Eleven Lines to Somewhere - Alyson Rudd BLOG TOUR

As somebody who loves the London Underground, and the subway systems in other cities in the world, I might add, it sounded like this was a book tailor-made for me. At times it seemed as if the stations were additional characters in the book. And that experience is enhanced if you’re familiar with any of the stations and the lines featured. But no matter if you’re not, it doesn’t detract from the overall premise. But it seemed to me that the underground system serves as a metaphor for the lives of all the disparate folk in this tale.

Using any railway system, but particularly an underground system, requires you to examine and look at your connections. To think about how you get from here to there, from A to B and arrive at your destination. Efficiently. Safely. That’s what this book is about. Only the routes, destinations and connections are not about places but about emotions, feelings and a place within life itself. 

‘In a world of what-ifs, a connection has been made …

When Ryan spots a young woman on the tube on his commute, he can’t take his eyes off her. Instantly attracted and intrigued, he’s keen to find out more about his mysterious fellow passenger.

The woman he thinks of as Millie spends all day travelling the Underground, unable to leave for reasons unbeknownst to Ryan. For some inexplicable reason, he just can’t shake the feeling he wants to help her escape her endless commute.

This is a story of love and loss from the author of The First Time Lauren Pailing Died, perfect for fans of Anna Hope’s Expectation, David Nicholls’s Sweet Sorrow and Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life.’

But the blurb is only telling us the half of it. Ryan and “Millie” are just two of our characters searching for more, searching for reasons and answers to life’s eternal questions of love and belonging. Spanning generations which include Ryan’s grandfather we see how people deal with loss, love and their search to understand those states. Such journeys require following the same route sometimes. trying new routes, getting the timings right. Life doesn’t come with a ticket to ride. And sometimes you have to step off the train before you can get back on it. And sometimes you have to let the train go by that you might have thought about catching.

With a narrative that connects and  intersects, like the lines of the underground system at the heart of this tale Alyson Rudd has created an engaging fiction about people dealing with their demons however they can. But it’s also a story of solid friendships and the support and love of family. There is some sadness, sure, but ultimately it’s uplifting and hopeful. Because of the time we are living in now there was some kind of irony about a book centred around travelling on the underground.  Well, that's probably just me! 

 My thanks to HQ stories and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read the story and to be a part of the blog tour.  Please check out what other bloggers have to say. 

How’s The Pain - Pascal Garnier - Translated by Emily Boyce

I put it to you that only Pascal Garnier could get away with making a novel about a terminally ill hitman on his final contract amusing and almost a light-hearted read. Note I say “almost” for the absolute joy of Garnier’s style is his ability to fuse the black with the light. You find yourself laughing instead of crying and sometimes vice versa, for the surefire skill of a funny man is to extract the emotion from both ends of the scale.

As with all Garnier’s novellas he has this incredible knack of creating a concise narrative without seeming to skimp on any of the detail or salient characterisations. The plot and structure are equally economic without being lacking. There are other writers out there who would require double the page count to achieve what Garnier achieves with apparent ease.

Like A Long Way Off this story takes us on a journey with our “hero” Simon Marechall and, his polar opposite in so many ways, the innocent, the naive, the impressionable and the absurdly optimistic Bernard Ferrand. The dynamic between the two offers a great deal of the humour in the novel whilst also offering us the “Pascal paradox” - that ability to inject a poignancy into the vein of the jocular. Simon makes Bernard an offer he can’t refuse financially but he hasn’t any real idea of what Simon’s job as a vermin exterminator really entails. And it isn’t going to be me who tells you!!

Readers familiar with Garnier will find that surreal, psychedelic atmosphere he creates so well, something almost but not quite dreamlike, triplike. Yet somehow, amidst the mayhem, Garnier seems to put his finger on the paradox of the human spirit, that inherent frailty that provokes doubt and uncertainty even when the way ahead may be crystal clear. 

Using Simon and Bernard as perfect counterweights in the pendulum tick-tocking of life he shows us what it is to live and to die. And yet I feel there is an underlying sense of a more serious Garnier than in his previous work. It’s as if he’s saying, it’s been a blast but now we’re getting down to the wire, there’s pain here too, the title is not just for effect.

It would be unfair not to offer a shout out for Emily Boyce whose sterling translation  loses none of Garnier's wit and perception. And this new edition boasts an introduction by John Banville. My thanks to Gallic books for a copy.

A Little Pick Me Up - Katie Portman - Blog Tour

There is no shortage of self help books out there but what’s good about this one, if it indeed it can be termed a self-help book, is that the strands and ideas from so many others are neatly and succinctly collated into this one little book.

‘ Since the beginning of time, women have been made to feel bad about themselves. From our dress sizes to our careers, from our parenting skills to simply having an opinion, modern women come under immense, relentless pressure to look and behave in certain ways.

The stories we tell ourselves can lead to some dark emotions. They can even result in us hating ourselves – and other women.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. We just need to realise our power, our value and our worth.

In a deeply personal book, award-winning blogger Katie Portman (www.poutinginheels.com) talks candidly about her own challenges as a woman and shares the tools she uses to overcome them. She invites fellow females to open their eyes to the beauty, power and potential that exists within them.

Covering subjects such as self-confidence, self-acceptance, ageing and identity, Katie holds up a mirror to gender imbalance, she lightens the mental load of mothers, and empowers everyone to practice self-love, not self-hatred.

With an ever-increasing focus on mental health, Katie’s messages should be relayed in schools, universities, on relationship apps and in mothers’ groups across the land. The book can be enjoyed in its entirety, or readers can dip into the ‘little pick me ups’ again and again and again – whenever they need a reminder of how wonderful they really are.’

Full marks for the format and presentation. A bright, cheerful cover, upliftment is almost instant. A pertinent title that works on two levels, literally - it is little and you can easily pick it up,  emotionally - the philosophies within it can act as a mood pick me up. It’s also compact enough to slip into a bag or even a pocket if you ever find yourself in need of…….. a little pick me up! The book is divided into sections dealing with some of the negative emotions that pervade the lives of women. And each section looks at ways in which as individuals we might confront these emotions and deal with them more positively. Each section offers a helpful summary of the main points and possible actions to take.

As a mature, no, let’s not beat about the bush, an old, single lady I felt the target audience was younger, parenting women. I don’t intend that as a criticism. It is an observation, but there was much here irrelevant to me. However when I was the age of the author my attitude to ageing was very different to my attitude now. So I would say this is a book for a younger woman than myself.But it’s a book for our times where women are poised on the precipice to progress and take control of themselves and their bodies.

The author uses her own life experiences to examine her attitudes within the context of those experiences and more broadly within the world. It’s an honest account of how emotion and mental attitudes can be manipulated by the society in which we live and gender aspects we are confined within. It’s easy to read. Easy to dip into, full of sound advice and knowledge From somebody who has embraced her own challenges head-on and overcome them.

Katie is an honorary Yorkshirewoman; she originally hailed from Lancashire and moved to Barnsley with her headteacher husband, Jamie, a couple of decades ago. They have two beautiful children, Elsie and Leo. 

Katie is on social media, you can connect with her there.

Facebook: @poutinginheels

Twitter: @KateLPortman

Instagram: @poutinginheels

Buy Link 

http://hallgoodbooks.com/product/a-little-pick-me-up/

My thanks to Kelly Laciey of the Lovebooks group for an opportunity to read this book and be part of the blog tour.

Precious You - Helen Monks Takhar - BLOG TOUR

Despite being reminiscent of others in this genre I found this debut novel utterly compelling. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. Initially I wasn’t sure, it took me a while to settle down to the author’s style. The structure of the book with its dual narrative switching between the two main female characters felt disorientating, edgy almost. But I think that’s exactly how it was supposed to make me feel. For this is a most uncomfortable book to read. I don’t think it is possible to like either Katherine or Lily as their generation fuelled power struggle ping pongs its way through the book and reveals something darker, more unsettling. They are both manipulative and scheming. The tag line ‘They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But it tastes sweetest when it’s cooked slow.’ offers the reader a big hint to prepare them for the story not merely being one of rivalry in the workplace. It’s deeper and more sinister throwing up other issues to consider. I’m no plot spoiler so I’ll say little other than offer the blurb. 

‘’Trusting you was my first mistake. To Katherine, twenty-four-year-old Lily Lunt is a typical "snowflake." It seems like the privileged, politically correct millennial will do whatever she can to make it big as a writer, including leveraging her family's connections. To Lily, Katherine Ross, a career woman in her early forties, is a holdover from another era: clueless, old-fashioned, and perfectly happy to build her success on the backs of her unpaid interns.

When Lily is hired as the new intern at the magazine where Katherine is editor in chief, her arrival threatens the very foundation of the self-serving little world that Katherine has built. She finds herself obsessively drawn to Lily, who seems to be a cruel reminder of the beauty and potential she once had--things Lily uses against Katherine as she slowly begins to undermine her, sabotaging her work and turning the magazine's new publisher against her. Is Katherine being paranoid? Or is Lily seeking to systematically destroy her life? As Katherine tries to fight back, a toxic generational divide turns explosive and long-buried secrets are exposed--with deadly consequences for both. . . .

Gripping and provocative, Precious You delivers an unsettling, provocative take on the contemporary workplace, turning the professional roles women play on their heads in a razor-sharp, revenge-driven thriller for our age."

 It’s interesting to examine the two differing points of view between the Generation X and the Snowflake (that in itself sounds like that little of a good book!). The author has explored the gulf between expectations, motivations, perceptions and ambitions of these two seemingly different women. But you kind of think that if they were the same age they would be similar? It threw up questions and considerations about contemporary attitudes in the workplace, focusing obviously on women. 

It's a narrative that makes you feel edgy and unsettled. The obsession and the compulsion from the protagonists get to you,insidiously. There was a hint of what I like to call the Patricia Highsmith effect. Where peoples' actions and reactions are just very slightly off-balance in an almost indefinable way but as the reader it bothers you and you just know it's all going to go horribly wrong.

It’s not a feel good book. Don’t expect to come away feeling uplifted even after you’ve finished and the ends are all tied up.  But then would you expect to when you read a psychological thriller? ;) 

My thanks to HQ stories for a proof of this book and a spot upon the blog tour.

Broken Flowers- Kate McQuaile BLOG TOUR

'Your mother. The one person you trust. What if you're wrong?

Widowed Nan is on her way to her beloved son's wedding. She should be excited, but she is dreading her return to Paradise Place - a small area of Notting Hill that she hasn't dared set foot on for decades. Nan had arrived there as a young girl in the late seventies, desperate for freedom and a career as an artist. But, drawn into a dark obsession that spun out of control, Nan was forced to flee.

And while the only thing seemingly connecting her son's wedding and her old secret life is Paradise Place, Nan quickly gets the impression that someone is watching her every move . . . someone she thought was dead.'

Well, thank you very much, @KateMcQuaile. I had a schedule today. There were things I needed to do, calls I needed to make, pieces I should have written. But, oh no, you had to go and write a thriller that I just could not put down. But it’s okay. I forgive you. Because I really did enjoy it. You fed me a diet of twists and turns that had my jaw dropping lower than my sagging chins.

I read Without a Word and I always felt that the impact of that book hung upon its single unique premise of an interrupted Skype conversation where the conversee never returned to finish the call. (actually, very perversely, it's occurred to me how pertinent that book might be in these lockdown times when people are communicating on these kind of platforms far more than they might normally). But here in this latest offering from Ms. McQuaile,  the, almost now expected and stereotypical, flawed narrator of a psychological thriller has divided into two. Two versions of events. But who do we believe? One or the other? Or neither? Or both? 

The readers’ life is made no easier either by the structuring of the story. We’ve got a loosely  then and now offering but the then is told in the third person and the now is told in the first person which throws up all kinds of psychological interpretations. But my goodness it makes for interesting reading.

It’s a dark tale where some nasty things happen and the past comes back to bite you on the bottom as it so often does. There is a generous offering of twists and turns, many of which were so surprising that I challenge any reader who reckons they saw them all coming. If you re a regular psych thriller  reader there are one or two you will surmise but truly there are some absolute corkers here.

The title intrigued me too. I did wonder whether it was an oblique reference to a series of books from the late seventies but as the story progressed I figured I was barking up the wrong tree there. Secrets of the past, families, trust, revenge - it’s all here. With attention to detail and the nuanced perception of the way in which peoples’ minds might work all enveloped in a very readable prose style. In spite of the jumps from past to present the narrative had a flow to it that contributed to the urgency with which the reader becomes desperate to find out what happens.

Often in books of this genre I find it very hard to like the characters. And I’ve always believed that that’s quite important because it means you read with no bias. But I have to say here despite her behaviour I did like Nan. I thought the development of the character’s young, naive student to the mature, widowed mother she became was very well done. The other main character, though...... I didn't take to at all, but things are not always as they seem. I'll say no more. I have no tickets for Spoilersville.

There’s just one thing that bothered me a bit and I hope this isn’t a spoiler but it was Nan’s art teacher paying for the foundation course. I just didn’t feel that was realistic, not to mention professional. But maybe I’m a nit-picker. And if so I apologise.

Thanks to Katya Ellis @QuercusBooks for a copy of #BrokenFlowers and a place upon the blog tour. Check out all the bloggers.

Antkind - Charlie Kaufman

When someone tells you Charlie Kaufman has written a novel you experience a strange, spine tingly, heart jumbly, tummy trembly eruption of euphoric anticipation. Or you do if you watched in awe, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Adaptation. Because you know that, even though screenwriting is a different ball game to novel writing it is still writing. And Charlie Kaufman is nothing if not a writer. So to get my hands on a limited edition proof was beyond my wild imaginings and believe me some of my imaginings can be pretty wild.

At over 700 pages this debut novel of Kaufman’s is a committed read. And to offer any kind of review or response is bordering on the futile because this is a book that you don’t so much read as experience. It’s like Kafka met William Burroughs for an acid and speed party. It’s surreal, insanely imaginative. 

You want a précis? Good luck with that! It defies summarising. I can give you the bare bones, but not the rolls of flesh and sinew that give the book its - oooooooomph.

The main character is B. Rosenberg, an erstwhile film critic who has hit a lean patch. Quite unexpectedly he chances upon a movie with a running time of three months which took 90 years to make. B. (note the initial, not a full name…. I did already mention Kafka, didn’t I?). B. believes it to be a work of supreme, artistic  importance which he feels compelled to show to the whole world. Only problem is the film gets destroyed bar one single frame. B makes it his mission to recreate that film. 

What follows is a tour de force  that truly defines the ‘creative’ of creative writing. The narrative is like some kind of Kerouacian spontaneous prose that is full of allusions to Kaufman’s films, and those of others, but more importantly the themes and images experienced in those films, from puppets to the manipulation of memory, themes that absorb Kaufman for the duration of the book. 

But don’t be fooled, for intertwined within the footings of a fiction are Kaufman’s philosophies on life, the world and his President. Kaufman is from the US. Need I say more? There are moments of pure hilarity, moments of jaw dropping admiration for a man who can hypnotise us with his words, create situations that have you wishing you could have a rummage around in his head for it is almost unbelievable that one person can come up with this sustained landscape of characters and situations.

And yet I am left wondering whether Kaufman is laughing at us all watching us trying to lap this all up and be prepared to proclaim his genius. Or is it just an intentional load of old twaddle? Maybe a bit of both!

My thanks to Matt at 4th Estate for this proof. My life will never be the same again!

The Women Writers' Handbook - Ed. Ann Sandham BLOG TOUR

A revised edition of the publisher’s inaugural publication in 1990 which won the Pandora Award from Women-in-Publishing. Inspirational in its original format, this new edition offers insight and motivation for budding writers from dozens of distinguished authors, celebrating the breadth of women’s writing in all its forms. Also includes the original writing workshops from the first edition plus quirky B/W illustrations as well as a foreword by Cheryl Robson, publisher and Managing Editor, who was a recent finalist in the ITV National Diversity Awards - Lifetime Achievement category. Aurora Metro Books was a finalist in the 2019 IPG Diversity in Publishing Awards and has a 30 year history of ground-breaking publishing, featuring both diverse and international authors.

This edition offers a wide-ranging collection of over 30 essays, poems and interviews from the top, international women writers, poets, screenwriters and journalists. 

 The complete list of contributors: 

A.S. Byatt, Saskia Calliste, April De Angelis, Kit de Waal, Carol Ann Duffy, Sian Evans, Philippa Gregory, Mary Hamer, Jackie Kay, Shuchi Kothari, Bryony Lavery, Annee Lawrence, Roseanne Liang, Suchen Christine Lim, Jackie McCarrick, Laura Miles, Raman Mundair, Magda Oldziejewska, Kaite O’Reilly, Jacqueline Pepall, Gabi Reigh, Djamila Ribeiro, Fiona Rintoul, Jasvinder Sanghera, Anne Sebba, Kalista Sy, Debbie Taylor, Madeleine Thien, Claire Tomalin, Ida Vitale, Sarah Waters, Emma Woolf

20% of profits to go to the Virginia Woolf statue campaign.

The Virginia Woolf statue campaign: The proposed statue will be located in Richmond on Thames where Virginia and Leonard Woolf lived from 1914-1924 and set up the Hogarth Press. A public consultation by the local council was 83% in favour of the statue and planning permission has been granted to site the first life-size statue in bronze of the famous author on Richmond riverside where the author walked her dog daily. Over 20% of the £50,000 target has been raised so far. 

 The collection has been edited by Ann Sandham.

I suppose what struck me so forcibly reading this collection was how many of these women were, hitherto,  unknown to me. I felt a slight amount of shame at that. Perhaps in part that derives from the belief that one was a feminist! Another misplaced belief is being better read than one actually is. No matter. What does matter though is that now I have read the book and all of these wonderful women are firmly on my radar.

The variety of material in this book is so refreshing. There is something for everybody in terms of style and genre. Each piece is prefaced by a relevant quotation or piece of art. I suppose it is to be expected that everyone will have their favourites. I especially enjoyed reading the piece by Emma Wolf. As the great niece of Virginia Woolf I guess she is in a good position to write about her great aunt! It’s a compassionate piece looking at 100 years on since the publication of Night and Day in 1919. But this troubled genius seems to come alive in Ms. Woolf’s short but poignant piece. Certainly inspired me to re-read Virginia Woolf. (although, frustratingly, I cannot find my copy of Mrs Dalloway.)

There are a variety of different aspects of being a woman, being a writer. Pieces by established and experienced writers, and pieces from those who struggled to get to the place where they are now. If you were to sum the collection up, inspiring would be the keyword. And I guess that would be the point of a women writers Handbook!?!

I read the book all in one go because I had a specific purpose  participating in a blog tour. But you don't necessarily need to do that. As with most collections you can dip into it. Select the parts you particularly want to read, when you want to read them. I went straight to the interview with Sarah Waters, the piece by Phillippa Gregory and the interview with Claire Tomalin. All women whose existing work I've enjoyed.  I hunkered down and read the book from cover to cover and emerged feeling the richer and the wiser for it. Whatever aspect of women's writing you're interested in you'd find something to satisfy your interest. There's material here that will inform and educate you as well as entertain you. There is a sense of solidarity too. Women joining together for a common purpose no matter that you're hearing about, quite specific and individual journeys in some cases. It remains uplifting and stimulating.

Also included in the book is a very useful section on writing workshops. Whilst I’m not part of a writing workshop myself many of the exercises here I’m going to have a stab at as I think they will benefit my own writing There is also a comprehensive resource directory compiled by Saskia Calliste, who is also one of the contributors. It is so useful to have all of these in one place. I can see this book becoming a constant companion.

My thanks to Kelly Lacey of LoveBooksTours for the opportunity to read the book and participate in the blog tour.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Covid (With apologies to T.S.Eliot)

I have been quite prolific during this lockdown with my own writing. And several pieces have found an outlet on the wonderful Pendemic website. Do check them out. I am so grateful that they gave me a voice and an outlet. An oasis in this pandemic desert.

http://pendemic.ie

However I have been so prolific that they've put a cap on me now! Apparently I have 18 pieces on the site which is significantly above their cap! I can submit no more. I'm disappointed, yes, of course I am. But they say they have to limit the number of submissions from individuals to make sure there's room for voices to be heard. I hadn't realised there was a cap even. I might have been more selective and spaced things out. But of course that won't stop me writing. It's almost like I have no control over it! Once I get an idea I have to go with it. And whilst I know this is a book blog I will occasionally post on here if I think I can forge some kind of tenuous link ! And I'm able to do that today. For there is a link with T.S. Eliot. 

The Love Song of J. Alfred Covid (With apologies to T.S.Eliot)

I already wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

I’ve dared to eat more peaches than I care to name. 

I am measuring out my life with soup spoons.

(Tea and coffee spoons too, you know).

In the room no one comes and goes

and right now I could not care about Michelangelo.

I will not walk through certain half deserted streets

For fear of drunken anti social distancers.

But I do have time 

to prepare a face 

for the faces I may now never meet.

And I have time to wonder,

 do I dare to leave this house?

Do I dare to unlock myself?

But will there be time to 

do the things I have to do,

do the things I need to do,

do the things I want to do,

as I grow not old but older?

I find it impossible to say just what I mean.

In the room no one comes and goes

and right now I could not care about Michelangelo.

I have listened for the mermaids singing

As I walk seawards each day.

I know they will not sing to me. 

I am the Fool

I am ridiculous.

I am led to an overwhelming question

Will a human voice wake me?

Will I drown?

Will I ever be hugged again?

Will I ever be loved again?