Reads of the month: September 2012

I have a very wide and eclectic taste when it comes to reading and I get through a fair few so I have picked a couple as not to bore you with the gazillions I devour each month. I love reading so much I honestly have been known to read cookery books like they are novels lol. I will be reviewing a mixture of old and new books some will be re-reads as well. Enjoy......

I have 4 books for you guys this month.

 

1. The Kite runner by Khaleed Hosseini.

Dubbed as the first Afghan book written in English, I picked this book up a while back but misplaced it half way through in 2004. What with the Afghanistan war being a back drop to our lives for so many years a story actually taking place in that land attracted me to this book. There is almost an Abel and Cain vibe to this book as the story of 2 boys, Amir and Hassan who learn to walk, talk and grow together are separated by their social standing in 70's Kabul. Hosseini weaves an epic political tale spanning decades and continents. With an incredible mix of guilt, loyalty, upheaval, trauma, cowardice, beauty and finally redemption being felt in equal measure. I found parts incredibly difficult to read at times but my hands would not allow me to put the book down. This is a very raw book with culpability, humanity, acceptance and betrayal melded into a very strange and ultimately destructive friendship. An excellent read. (5 stars) 

2. Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

 I have finally rediscovered this author again yay. I am working my way through this series so this author may feature again down the road. I absolutely love crime and mystery novels and am a huge CSI buff so this is right up my street. Not to mention that I am getting very good at spotting the bad guy. As the first in the Grant County series this sees the town paediatrician and coroner Sara Linton discover the body of local blind college professor brutally assaulted in the town dinner. The Macabre and gruesome tale delves into a small town being held captive by a murderer.  With the help of her ex-husband who just happens to be the chief of police Sara tries to find those who are responsible before more lives are lost. (3.5 stars)

3.      Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

This book is quite simply haunting. It exudes a sense of foreboding. I found the suspense more thrilling than the actual end of the book. The tale follows the story of the very young and naive second Mrs de Winter as she makes the transition from ladies companion to the wife of the master of Manderly. Once her whirl wind marriage and honeymoon is over she finds her husband a changed man. Her much heard of home Manderly in Cornwall turns out to hold many secrets and is a perfectly preserved shrine to the first Mrs de Winter. On her arrival she is faced with resistance from staff as she is constantly compared to her processor Rebecca and can't seem to find her place in the house. Although Rebecca is dead she is definitely the central character in the book. One of the greats in classic gothic literature. (3.5 stars)

4.  Cloud atlas by David Mitchell

There are no two ways about it, this book is difficult. He isn't the first to write a disjointed and deeply fragmented story and I am sure he won’t be the last but unlike others he does it well. He hasn't used this deconstructed style of writing to cover up a dry story or to coast over a lack of interesting bits it’s like he has just decided to see how many readers could stick it out because that's just how he writes. I love returning to books that I read ages ago as you find something new and deeper on each return.

The book contains a mish mash of characters ranging from a 19th century America lawyer to a slave stow away, a sleazy composer from 1931, a gay composer and scientist, a journalist, a cloned slave and a publisher all are connected in some way. There are 5 stories visited twice in the book except for the centre piece Zachry's tale. Explaining the book is incredibly hard, Mitchell leads you on a roller coaster ride and lays over breadcrumbs that lead to shores unknown He mind trips you through the voices of the characters and idea that each character could possibly be a reincarnation of the character before as the book comes full circle .It has a strange modernist and cryptic feel to it. It is an incredibly interesting book that touches on so many of the great debates of our time. I would highly recommend! (5 stars)

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

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