The Measure - Nikki Erlick

 It seems like just another morning. 

You make a cup of tea. 

Check the news. 

Open the front door. 

On your doorstep is a box. 

Inside the box is the exact number of years you have left to live. 

The same box appears on every doorstep across the world. 

Do you open yours?’

An original book that examines the fragility of life, how prejudice and discrimination are easy to perpetuate and how love endures the most violent storms.

I found this to be a unique premise. A powerful realisation for me was that we are living our lives without the boxes but is that the only difference between ourselves and the population in the book! None of us know how long we have to live but would the knowing encourage us to live our lives to the full and love our lives to the full? 

I also found it a little unsettling within the context of the world today – I’m thinking Pandemic, Ukraine and this week the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan – if we all had our strings should we, would we live our lives any differently?

The book begins in one spring and ends in another with a kind of epilogue of several years later which rounds the book off. The central characters, all from different backgrounds, different walks of life with different lengths of string, navigate the year some knowing whether their lives will be long or short, some not. For most it’s a matter of choice whether they open the box or not,  but they all  interact. The interaction might be considered contrived in some ways but it actually works very well and you lose that sense, and it’s superseded by a pleasing synchronicity. 

Politics plays a big part in the book, with such a global issue it’s not surprising but I’m unwilling to give anything away. It’s a book that could spark many a discussion. It’s thought-provoking but it’s also very moving and the characters are forced to peel away the layers and examine what is deep inside them. 

One thing that did perturb me a little was that after the initial distribution of the boxes no one gets a box until they reach the age of 22. From that I surmise that below that age no one has any inkling of potential infant or young person mortality. That aspect isn’t covered anywhere within the narrative of the book but it certainly made me wonder about how people dealt with those situations when they were in possession of their own strings.

I thought the book was well written and I warmed to the characters. I became invested in their anxieties about their futures and the dilemmas they faced because of the ‘string state’ . 

I was fortunate enough to win a proof from Caboodle run by National Book Tokens.

The Martins - David Foenkinos translated by Sam Taylor

  This is such a clever book. The simple premise turns on its head the whole function of the writer and his art, also, subtly, acknowledges the role of the reader. It’s a delightful trinity; a fusion between author, character and reader.

A French novelist grappling with some writers block sets himself a “simple“ task – to make the first person he sees on the street the subject of his next story. The subject turns out to be an 80-year-old lady. The story follows the writer as he seeks to squeeze out of her and her family enough material to construct a readable novel. But of course the story of him doing this IS the novel! And as the writer seeks to suck out the everyday problems and traumas of this family he becomes a character in the story too.

The implication is that just about anyone has a story to tell, a mystery to solve and that proves to be true. But apart, from the fictional “fun“ of the premise the book illustrates that the seemingly most ordinary people have drama and crises in their lives worthy of featuring in a novel. In that sense it could be quite heartbreaking but Foenkinos brings an astute wit to the narrative that doesn’t allow the story to become either mawkish or hard-boiled. There is a warmth to the wit that has the reader rooting for the characters, especially the ageing Madeleine who has a good story with a nice twist which I’m not prepared to divulge.

It’s a well paced narrative that is entertaining and thought-provoking and much credit must go to the translator, Sam Taylor,  who has ensured that absolutely nothing is lost in translation.

The characterisations are solid and believable and it’s fascinating to look at the interaction between the author and each member of the family and in examining the dynamic in their lives he seems to compelled to question the dynamic in his own. It’s neatly concluded too, and the end result is a pleasurable and satisfying read.

My thanks to Gallic Books for a proof.

Aurora - David Koepp

 

Just how much this book got to me might be revealed when I admit that I was addressing my friend’s voice controlled virtual assistant as Aurora rather than the given name! Frustrated when the song I requested wasn’t played I feared the worst - no power! 😉

A PLANET WITHOUT POWER

When a solar storm hits the earth, the lights go out across the planet. But this time the blackout won’t be over soon - it could last for years. Aubrey and her stepson now face the biggest challenge of their lives.

A SOCIETY WITHOUT RULES

Soon they hear rumours of riots, the struggle for food becomes real, and even within their small communities, the rule of law is collapsing. Aubrey’s estranged brother Thom, a self-made billionaire who abandoned her years ago, retreats to a gilded desert bunker where he can ride out the crisis in perfect luxury.

A RACE TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD

But the complicated history between the siblings is just the beginning of a personal reckoning long overdue…

With a narrative that sweeps the reader along like a tidal wave Aurora takes a very real solar event, based on the Carrington Event of 1859, and looks at how such a thing might pan out in our 21st century world. And the result is a tense, thriller that almost borders on the dystopian as we accompany Aubrey and Thom on their quest for survival in a life without power. The siblings each have their own stories that run parallel to the main thrust of the story and it all makes for an explosive melting pot of tensions.

A palpable atmosphere is created and sustained throughout as the crisis exposes the fractures in family dynamics. But we also see how a community thrust into disaster can pull together. The characterisations were believable and compelling - I wanted to know how these people fared, I needed to know their stories. 

It’s subtly deceptive for the opening chapters suggest the reader might be in for a sci fi story but that morphs into a disaster tale laced with family dramas! There’s a hint of a crime story too but no one element overshadows the other. It’s well structured and I absolutely loved the final sentence which echoed a quote from a favourite film of mine from the 1970’s.

As I read I felt the story had a cinematic quality so I guess I was not surprised to read that the author is a screenwriter. It’s a wonderfully visual book. But it’s also a scary book. Not merely in terms of the content but because of the potential for an event such as this to happen. Scientifically it could. It would make the pandemic seem like a walk in the park. Excuse me now, please, I need to go build a bunker.

My thanks to HQ stories for a gifted proof and a spot upon the blog tour.

Meredith Alone - Claire Alexander

 

It would be easy for this to present as a dark, unnerving tale of how people struggle to deal with disturbing life traumas. But thanks to a finely judged balance between good storytelling and some well modulated humour this novel becomes refreshingly uplifting. That’s not to say that the issues dealt with in the book are uplifting, far from it, but the author has decided to focus on a more positive attitude and look at desirable outcomes rather than labouring the negative and attributing blame.

We know at the start of the book that Meredith hasn’t left her home for 1,214 days. We don’t know why. Bit by bit Meredith’s story unfolds. But the novel is not just about somebody’s past, it’s about how they work towards a brighter future.

Meredith is a delightful character. I warmed to her straight away. Her penchant for jigsaws, her delightful cat, Fred, her routines and the knowledge that she has a loyal best friend cement the impression that she is a good person who is dealing with some heavy crap. She doesn’t shy away from the fact that she has become a recluse. She doesn’t appear to feel sorry for herself either and given what happened to her you could forgive her if she did. Instead she tries to make the very best she can out of a not so great situation. However there’s a lot more to the story than that!

Family dynamics are also explored in terms of sibling relationships. Meredith has a sister Fiona and there’s quite a story there. The two sisters’ mother also has her own history that impact on the lives of her children.

There are some other delightful characters in the book. Meredith’s friend, Sophie,  you want to hug her for how steadfast she has remained for her best friend. Tom, who is volunteering for a charity to befriend people living in isolation, optimistically supportive and so receptive to Meredith’s baking! And Meredith’s online friend, Celeste, who turns out to be another link in Meredith‘s chain of support, although Celeste herself has issues to deal with.

It reminded me of books like Eleanor Oliphant and some of Ruth Hogan’s books, I don’t want to divulge too much of what ultimately happens. It’s an emotional book and there are elements of it that are really quite heartbreaking. But there is hope. And there is redemption. 

I thought it was well written with an evenly paced narrative encouraging the reader to read on and involve themselves in Meredith‘s life. It’s keenly plotted, and although sometimes you think you know where it’s headed it doesn’t always work out that way. Much like life itself.

My thanks to Jennifer Breslin at Michael Joseph books for a gifted proof. I also enjoyed the shortbread but I doubt it was a patch on Meredith’s baking! I can see this book having a wide appeal, particularly in the times that we’re living in currently.

Just for Today - Nell Hudson

 You may briefly be reminded of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History as you settle into this debut novel from actress Nell Hudson. It features a group of close friends and how aspects of real life provoke an almost organic disintegration of that friendship. The story quickly comes into its own against the backdrop of London and the vaguely hedonist lifestyles of the fearless young. I’ll confess I was surprised just how good this book is. I was a bit of a ‘She can act but can she write?“ mind. However I was quickly enveloped in the lives of Joni, Dylan, Jess, Niall, Mila and Henry. Lives and loves. Comedies and tragedies. Written in the first person, from the perspective of Joni a.k.a. Phil, (don’t ask, read the book😉!) the reader is privy to her party lifestyle of love, drugs and alcohol. The strap line on the back of the proof I received says “The party has to end sometime“ and so it does. With a sparkling narrative that encourages the reader along with it we can almost see the cracks appearing even if our merry band can’t. The author shows a perception for the twenty somethings, how they act and react that is not unsympathetic, neither is it critical, it is well observed and often poignant. Something the book does most effectively is highlight those aspects of living that you take for granted, people who you can’t ever imagine not being in your life, especially when you’re young, And how hard it hits when the rude awakenings of life force their indelible stamp upon you. 

Many thanks to team bookends for a gifted proof.

The Last Days of Roger Federer

 

Fear not, if you are anxious that the titular ‘Last Days…’ indicates that the author is privy to some terminal diagnosis of international treasure, Roger Federer.  The term refers to his potential retirement from tennis and given this week’s news that the Federers have acquired a dog called Willow this seems likely. I mean how can he continue to play tennis and walk the dog?😉

No, this is a book about endings, all manner of endings;  last times, last works, last thinkings and demises written from the perspective of a person in their sixties who knows that the shuffling of the mortal coil is no longer some distant event, barely contemplated by persons in their prime but winking away in front of them almost beckoning towards some kind of individual finish line.

I can relate to all of it as a person also in my sixties but what attracted me to the book was the reference to Roger Federer. Because as well as being ‘old’ I am also an avid tennis fan. I allowed myself a wry grin when one of the author’s footnotes asks ‘Is watching tennis on TV primarily an old person’s game?’ Whilst the book is sprinkled liberally with tennis references, both objectively and subjectively, it is rich with an abundance of cultural and sporting allusions. And the question posited by the book, it seemed to me, is whether we, the human animal, are irrevocably drawn towards endings, conclusions? 

It is a personal reflection, written with intelligence, wit and candour, and in many ways difficult to pin down which contributes to its appeal,for me anyway. It could be seen as a thematic indulgence on the author’s part but why not?! Although at times the musings seem fragmented, random almost yet as you progress through the book you see the nuanced cohesion. And I found myself ‘googlescuttling’ which is where references in the text have me scuttling to my browser and searching via Google to learn more. And in my opinion that is the mark of a good book.

I wonder though if this is a generation book? Being the age that I am I could not only understand references to topics like Bob Dylan, jazz, tennis but I exulted in them sometimes to the point of overexcitement. For example I once made a pilgrimage to Lowell, Massachusetts to stand by Kerouac’s grave like Ginsberg and Dylan and there was something extraordinarily uplifting about seeing this referenced in a book, unexpectedly I might add.  Unexpected is another key feature of this book for almost like the ubiquitous and now cliched Forrest Gump box of chocolates I just never knew what I was going to get. But what I did get I liked. A lot.

The writer is learned, knowledgeable and he shares that knowledge generously with the reader. It’s an intellectual book but the writing style renders it accessible to the layman. It becomes almost conversational. I almost had the sense that I was the only reader the author was willing to share his thoughts with! I found much of it motivational; I want to revisit Lawrence, Rhys, Turner and Coltrane, maybe with a different perspective from my existing ones? 

And so this is a book about endings. It is also a book that makes you think. As far as it makes you think about endings – this book is just the beginning!

My thanks to Canongate Books for a copy of this book