New Moon / Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Read: March 2009

This is the second in the quartet from Stephanie Meyer that starts with Twilight. I knew this book would along the same lines as Twilight, as so I was prepared for it not being the most interesting or challenging read, but wanted to read it as other colleagues had and had enjoyed the series.

I got really annoyed at the first quarter of this book, because it was basically Bella moping and being depressed as her love Edward had left. I found this really annoying and it didn't make me like the character any more. I'm sure that I'd feel differently if I was a teenage girl, and this would seem SO true to life, but for me it just got on my nerves that she couldn't see a life beyond a crush.

The book got better in the second quarter when Bella started being better friends with Jake. Jake had been a friend growing up and lives nearby. I found that their friendship felt really genuine. Jake feels a natural character, and their scenes together ring true - they are written nicely as two teenagers who are family friends and have grown up together.

But just as I thought the book was getting better, Edward returns and he and Bella go on an adventure together. Bella just totally forgets Jake and abandons him to SAVE Edward. I was disappointed that the story went back to blinded teenage romance where nothing else matters and this person is the only person you care about and you don't think that there might be any other way of living. The book also ended with Bella again pleading to be turned into a vampire, which also annoyed me.

I really forced myself to finish reading this book, as I really didn't agree with what happened in the second half. I told my colleague that I hadn't enjoyed this book as much, and she agreed that this was the weakest book, but that things improved. I hoped so....

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Read:May 2009

After my annoyance at New Moon I decided to do a double entry for these two books, as I didn't think I would have much to say. Having said that, I did enjoy Eclipse more than New Moon. Mainly because Jake had a really good and central role, where his character could not only develop, but, in my opinion, really rival Edward.

Jake's character really grew in this book and the friendship between him and Bella also developed into something strong. I think that Bella starts to fall for Jake, and I think that she is right to do so, as his character is much more an even to Bella, than Edward. Jake seems more "healthy" for Bella, than a blinkered relationship with Edward.

The twist in this book was that Jake, and others on the reservation, have turned into werewolves. This was actually a great twist, as the vampires and the werewolves are enemies and won't go onto each others land. The story takes a nice turn in that the vampires and the werewolves have to work together to defend the land and look after Bella. Even as a wolf, Jake retains his humour and friendliness and this really endeared him to me. It was actually quite fun to see him and Edward compete for Bella's attention and she becomes genuinely torn between them, as they offer her something significant. I was glad that Jake was so open about his feelings, to try and convince Bella to go for him instead of Edward. I don't know if I'd have been able to do the same. Even though it doesn't end in Jake's favour, he gave it his best shot.

As you can probably tell, I probably enjoyed this book more than the others so far - mainly as Jake's character could develop and provided some light relief and realism to the whole thing. Annoyingly though, in the final part of the book, Bella again pleaded to be turned into a vampire. Edward is not keen to turn Bella, as he feels that a human life is more valuable than one as a vampire and that he and his family did not have a choice, when Bella does. Edward tries to warn Bella that if she is turned, this cannot be reversed and therefore it is a huge decision, but she is adamant that Edward is THE ONE and she wants to be with him forever (do you really meet THE ONE when you are 15? Do you really know you have met THE ONE when you are 15?). Edward is more cautious and asks her to marry him. His reasoning being that if she will marry him, then they have already made a commitment to be together forever. I had to laugh when Bella wouldn't agree to marry Edward, but was still insistent that she wanted to be turned. She said herself that it wasn't right to marry so young, but again was insistent that she knew she wanted to be turned. In the end Bella does agree to marry Edward, but again remains very shy about it (not wanting to tell her parents or any of her friends). I guess here my feelings on marriage and lifelong commitment are coming through. If I knew someone was so reluctant about one type of commitment, then I would not be confident of their commitment in another area. I know this isn't real life, but has been written as a bit of teenage romance/fantasy fun, but I would bet against this lasting.

I've been promised that the final book is the best and will keep me awake all night turning the pages!

City of Love and Ashes by Yusuf Idris (1956, English Translation 1999)

City of Love and Ashes by Yusuf Idris (1956, English Translation 1999) Read: April 2009

Race to Dakar by Charley Boorman (2006)

Race to Dakar by Charley Boorman (2006)
Read: April 2009

This was one of the books that we asked for for Christmas, as we wanted a good read with a bit of adventure. We really enjoyed the series and book of Long Way Round that Charley did with Ewan McGregor and Long Way Down. Scott read the book first and then we managed to watch the short series before I got onto the book. It was a great choice for reading on the long drive to and from Dahab where we were doing our PADI diving course.

I really enjoyed this book and the writing style is easy to follow, but really engaging. The first part of the book covers Charley's preparations for the Dakar Rally, and the second part is dedicated to his Dakar race with the final part of the book is Charley as he supports the rest of the team once he is out of the Rally. The first part of the book is a bit technical as they develop the bikes and the car for the Rally, but it is fascinating to see how specialised the vehicals must be to not only be allowed to compete (there are various safety criteria each competing vehical must meet) but also to have a chance of actually making it to Dakar. One side-story that I liked was that of the mechanic Gareth - who was a Mechanics student at Bristol or Bath University, but worked on Rally bikes in his free time. He had helped the team on Long Way Down and now was being asked to re-build the custom bikes from scratch but also travel with the team as their mechanic throughout the Dakar.

Charley put in a lot of effort with the training he did in the year leading up to the race. It seems he was in Wales most weekends to learn how to ride on the rough terrain, which I know put a lot of strain on him and his family. So all credit to him. But I did feel that he felt throughout the training and race that he wasn't going to make it. It was quite clear that he didn't have the mental attitude of a Dakar Racer. Simon describes the mentla resilliance needed as being prepared to crawl on broken glass to Dakar if that was what it takes. For example, Charley didn't finish his first two endurance, Enduro, races in England because of rather lame excuses (compred to what he would be doing in the Dakar). I think he let this get to him too early on in the training and he didn't have a chance of the Dakar because he had already allowed himself an easy way out. He did prove me, and everyone else wrong though, when he rode over 300km with two broken hands/wrists through the dunes and desert in the first week of the Dakar. You could really tell that he had the dedication needed to make it through to Dakar at that point - jut not the physical means. He was so upset when it was confirmed that he'd broken his hands and that he wouldn't be able to ride that it did make me wonder if he would come back and try again.

Russ features again in this adventure, as the Producer and fixer for the Race To Dakar team. He and Charley have a good relationship and it is nice to see. When we first emt Russ, in Long Way Down, he often clashed with Ewan and Charley - especially Charley. But they have both developed an understanding of how the other works and a respect for the job and the expereince that each other bring to the team. I was relaly pleased to see them working together again.

One of my favourite parts of the book is when the narrative splits. We hear Charley's story as a fixer, now helping the Race To Dakar team get themselves and equipment from Bivvi to Bivvi, we hear Matt's story as he finishes his Dakar with exhaustion and is picked up by the Sweeper truck, and we hear SImon's story as he soldiers on, the last member of the Race To Dakar team trying to make it all the way for the whole team. Their stories become very different, and I think that Charley achieved what he ahd set out to do - telling the story of the Dakar from the point of view of a self-financing racer - rather than what you see on the big screen TV coverage of the professional teams.

Whilst I enjoyed the book, I think that watching the TV series that accompanied it is important too. I wouldn't say that one is better than the other, and although they fundamentaly tell the same story, the two perspectives - Charley's narrative and the camera's tale - provide the real story. I'm looking forward to reading and watching Charley's next adventure!

The Family Way / One For My Baby by Tony Parsons

The Family Way (2004) by Tony Parsons
Read: February 2009



One For My Baby (2001) by Tony Parsons
Read: March 2009



I read these two books as they were recommended as "easy reads" - although I did turn down two other fiction books as I felt they were too easy a read. These were light reads, something to get stuck into on holiday I guess, but after reading them I don't think that "relationships fiction" is really for me.

I started The Family Way thinking it an interesting story of three sisters and their different families as they grow up; one loving the single life, the other desparate for a baby and the third wanting a partner, but no baby. However I soon got frustrated by the superficial decisions that the characters, especially the mother was making. I am sure that one aim of the novel was to discredit the mother's attitude to children (that as a child you live your parents life, and as an adult you live the life of your child), but actually her attitude and some of the other negative attitudes towards family and friendship didn't make this a totally enjoyable, laugh-out-loud read for me.

Maybe it was a good thing that I started on The Family Way, as the attitude of the protagonist in One For My Baby was even worse in many ways. I did feel for him as a character when we flashback to his wife dying in a scuba accident - I don't like to think about how I would feel in such a situation. Although I know his father was designed to, again, be a character with a difficult-to-understand attitude towards finding love and family values, this first upset me and then annoyed me. The redeeming aspect of the story was that of Jackie and Plum, and of the grandmother. Descriptions of her slow death to cancer felt painful accurate to me. Despite the unbearable sorrow that I feel for the protagonist on losing his wife, his actions and attitudes to relationships with those around him were not justifyable. I don't think that he turned himself around enough for the book to end on the positive note that it did.

Sorry! These seem like two really negative reviews! I just think that I now understand why I don't like relationship fiction - beacause I am not in control of the characters and how they act in relationships and this is frustrating for me to follow a story about love, when I cannot read about love the way I love.

Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad, Christina Henry De Tessan (editor) (2002)

Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad, Christina Henry De Tessan (editor) (2002)
Read: January 2009

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (2007)

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (2007)

Scott was given a copy of this book by one of his students as he left his previous school. It is a very apt book to give a teacher, as the book itself is about the huge impact that one teacher, Mister Pip, has on a young girl in a village on a Papa New Guinae island.

It is an inspirational book. It is inspiring in terms of what Mister Pip sets out to achieve with these young people despite non-existant resources and a war raging around them and their families. His dedication to teaching these young people is what makes them dedicated to him, even though they find him, and his wife, a little wierd (all teachers are a little wierd to children, aren't they?). Matilda faces challenge after challenge, but rises to them through trauma to go onto pay homage to Mister Pip in her further education, but also personally making the circle of his life complete.

Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany (2002, English translation 2004)
Read: July 2008

My parents raved about the film, Yacoubian Building, when it came out in 2006 and I think they later did read the book. I only read the book though just before coming out to Egypt. It was perfect timing, to be honest, as in early July Alaa Al Aswany was having a reading at the South Bank. We went along and he read from his new book, Chicago, but also spoke about life in Egypt and his other work. After the reading we bought a copy of the new edition of Yacoubian Building and maganed to chat to him for a little while when he signed our copy.

MORE OF A REVIEW ON ITS WAY!

A Breastplate for Aaron by Simon Harvester

A Breastplate for Aaron by Simon Harvester (1949)
Read: December/January 2008/9

"Soon after three o'clock, when the town was still so hot and dusty that camels and donkeys tethered in the thin shade fretted unhappily, Blunden came to t understanding that the tall thin man in the immaculate beige linen suit and neat Panama hat was following him. Again"

I think that this book has one of the best opening lines, and I have enjoyed re-reading it again and again.

My father found this book - once again - in the way that normally does, and brought it over with him when my folks visited in November/December. He chose it as the story follows characters through Cairo, Alexandria, Lydda, Jerusalem and back to the Mediterranean. The story starts in Sharjah, Oman, which was another great link, as we had just booked a holiday in Oman for March.

The book follows Blunden who is searching for a man, Bastaev, who saved his life when he was fighting Rommel's Afrika Corps. Blunden knows few details about Bastaev, but what he does know takes him into the Middle East and then on a journey through places old and new as he follows the enigmatic Bastaev's trail. The story is an interesting one, as it starts out almost as a mystery, with Blunden looking for Basteav, but soon turns into a murder mystery as Blunden dodges two dead bodies. The story then manages to hot up the trail, and you are never sure whether Bastaev is a good-guy or not, and although Blunden never gives up his search, you become unsure whether he still wants to find him to thank-him, or for another reason.


Along Blunden's travels, you visit some interesting places. These aren't just in the countries the book travels through, but the hotels and market places along the way. It seemed a romantic time when you would correspond with a friend via the last hotel they stayed at. There is also a lovely description of Alexnadria whose fortunes have "fluctuated delicately with those of the Nile Valley and the Mediterranean". But it isn't all romance, as Blunden wanders the darkened alleys of Alexandria in search of the doorway that should lead him to his lost friend.

Unfortunately though, the characters aren't well developed. In particular, Miss Cotten, whom Blunden meets at his first hotel and later joins him on his travels, in unendearing in her support for Blunden. Also, the book comes to a surprising end, which almost appears out of nowhere, with very little build up in terms of the characters and plot. It is an exciting close, no question, but feels a little out of the blue and out of sorts with the rest of the story.

This is a beautifully cotton-bound hardback, that, in searching for the publication year I have found out is worth more than the 50p probably spent on it in a jumble sale. It is also a nice tale that introduces the reader to the Middle East as everyone searches for something - whether they really want it, or not.