Jen's Book Blog

2021 Book #6 – Wicked Boy

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – Written by the author of ‘The Suspicions of Mr Whitcher’, Kate Summerscale tells the story of Robert Allen Coombs, who, at the age of 14, murdered his mother. The book traces the murder and its aftermath, from the actions of Robert and his brother Natty after the killing of his mother to their arrest, the trials and sentencing and then Robert’s life after his arrest (sorry, spoiler alert – he wasn’t sentenced to death). From the squalor of the East End to the trenches of the First World War, and the wilds of Australia, the author traces the crime and the redemption of the murderer.

My Rating – 3/5

My Thoughts – This was a book I had picked up on a £3 audiobook offer from Audible, and was not one that I would usually pick. Whilst I am a fan of crime novels, true crime is sometimes a bit much for me. However, as I enjoyed the Suspicions of Mr Whitcher, I thought that I would pick this up. The book was a bit depressing in places, although I really enjoyed the tale of the aftermath of the murder. It really depicted the sense of redemption and went beyond the typical ‘horror’ element of the murder. Whilst the matricide of Robert’s mother was awful, the author explored the reasons why it might have been done with sensitivity and tact.

I did think the book was a little ‘long’ in places and not all of it always seemed completely relevant to the tale of Robert Coombs. I found myself drifting off, and I think if the book had been a paper book, I would not have finished it. Being an audiobook, I could, at least, listen to it during my morning walks or whilst doing cross stitch. It wouldn’t be a book that I would listen to again. However, I did really enjoy the epilogue of the book, which really summed up the book (and probably could have come sooner!)

2021 Book #5 – Middle-Earth: From Script to Screen

Medium – Book

About the Book – This beautiful book tells the story of the filmic version of Middle-Earth, alongside information about its geography, people and lore. The book immerses the reader in not only the background story of the world, but also the practical elements of film-making and how Peter Jackson and his crew created the Middle-Earth we see in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. The book is fully illustrated, with concept art, pictures from filming and stills from the film, and is laid out roughly geographically and chronologically in terms of what is seen in the films.

My Rating – 5/5

My Thoughts – I absolutely adore the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, and this book is a beautiful companion to both trilogies. I loved the clever way that the author had laid out the book, with each section being based on a geographical region of Middle-Earth (i.e. the Shire, Rohan, Erebor), but also trying to follow the storyline of the films as much as possible too. The images featured in the book are beautiful and it was wonderful to see the ways in which the film makers brought the world of Middle-Earth to life – from the tapestries that were handmade for Rivendell, to the full-size statues in Gondor and the streets of Minas Tirith, which could actually be walked around and had full shops. It was all the little details which captivated me!

This is one of those keepsake books – a book I will keep forever and dip into every time I want to be inspired by the creativity, photography and just by the world of Middle-Earth in general. The book has already inspired me to rewatch the trilogies, to play the Lord of the Rings Online, and maybe to resurrect my slightly extinct Lord of the Rings fanfiction! If you love Middle-Earth, enjoyed the movies, or just enjoy learning about film-making, I would definitely recommend this book!

2021 Book #4 – The Magpie Murders

Medium – Book

About the Book – Susan Ryeland is an editor at Cloverfield Publishing, which publishes the novels of Alan Conway, the creator of the German detective Atticus Pund. She is sent the latest installment of Conway’s series, and finds herself immersed in the mystery happening in the 1950s English village. However, the manuscript she is sent is incomplete, missing the final chapter. As she tries to locate the missing chapters, an even bigger mystery comes to her attention – Alan Conway has been killed, and Susan believes it to be a staged suicide. Susan must find the murderer, and the missing pages, whilst trying to avoid becoming a victim.

My Rating – 5/5

My Thoughts – This was one of those books that I wished for the end of the day for, so that I could carry on reading it. It’s a really cleverly written book, with the story of Susan interwoven with the 1950s ‘cosy crime’ story starring Atticus Pund. The book includes important letters and articles, all of which include some clues to the motive of the murderer. Mystery-wise, I guessed one of the murderers (in the modern timeline) but not the one in the 1950s timeline. Both of the parts of the book were excellent, and you can tell, straightaway, that this is a book written both by someone who enjoys mysteries and who knows how to write a good one (the author, Anthony Horowitz, has written for Poirot, Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War). There were plenty of ‘mystery’ elements and some great twists in the end. Ironically, there were some slight issues with editing, but they didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book!

The characters were excellent and I especially enjoyed Susan and Andreas from the modern timeline, and Atticus and Dr Redwing from the 1950s timeline. But all of the characters were cleverly crafted, each one having their own particular significance, even when it came down to their names. There were plenty of red herrings and I liked the fact that in the modern timeline, Susan wasn’t an entirely reliable narrator – she was quite flawed and sometimes leapt to the wrong conclusion, and I liked that about her. It felt very much how I would be if I were trying to solve a crime! I would definitely recommend this book, and once I am through my TBR pile, I am looking forward to reading the next in the series!

2021 Book #3 – The Beast of Buckingham Palace

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – Set in 2120, this novel by David Walliams tells the story of the sickly Prince Alfred, the heir to the throne of Britain. The country is in ruins and ruled by the Lord Protector, a terrible, terrifying man who controls Alfred’s father, the King, and rules the country in his place. He rules with fear and terror, controlling the people of London with the Royal Guard and the All-Seeing Eye (a laser-shooting flying robot). The only group who stand up to him are the revolutionaries, a shadowy group of people who Alfred believes want to kill him and the rest of the royal family. When Alfred’s mother, the Queen, is arrested for treason and sent to the tower, Alfred determines to free her and find a way to stop the Lord Protector – even if it means joining up with the revolutionaries.

My rating – 2.5/5

My Thoughts – I have read a number of David Walliams’ books before and having worked with children for years, I know how popular they are with children. They are easy to read, exciting and full of pictures, and generally have characters and story lines which appeal to children. I have read and enjoyed Grandpa’s Great Escape and Awful Auntie in the past. This book is in a new style for Walliams – more of a futuristic epic in style rather than his usual ‘Roald Dahl-esque’ books. Whilst it still includes a lot of Walliams’ signature humour, I did feel that the story was lacking something. I felt that the characters were a little one-dimensional, especially the supporting characters.

The storyline is quite dark and depressing, with more violence than I would expect for a children’s book. It’s not the sort of book I would read to a primary school class, especially as (SPOILER) the main character loses quite a large number of family members with relatively little fanfare. The story ends with a whimper, with the main character making a speech but no real information about what will happen to him next. I don’t know if the author did this to set up for a sequel, but if he did, I certainly won’t be reading it!

Positives – the audiobook version that I listened to had an excellent cast (i.e. Fiona Shaw, Andy Serkis, Joanna Lumley), so Walliams didn’t have to do all of the voices. I appreciated that and felt that it helped mitigate some of the issues with the actual writing of the book!

2021 Book #2 – The War Queens

Medium – Book

About the Book – Father and daughter duo Jonathan and Emily Jordan tell the stories of fourteen women, crossing time periods and nations, who led their people into battle. From Tomryis, the Massagetae Queen who rode into battle and killed the Persian King, to Margaret Thatcher, who commanded the British Army (albeit from London) during the Falklands War, the women discussed cover the whole political spectrum, but all are united in their courage in the face of overwhelming odds and their ability to make important and often bloodthirsty decisions.

My Rating – 4/5

My Thoughts – This book was one that has been on my TBR pile since the start of the first lockdown, so it is ironic that today, on the eve of the second major lockdown in the UK, I’ve finished it! I bought the book after hearing the authors on the ‘History Hack’ podcast, and thought that the whole premise of the book was fantastic and ‘just my sort of thing’. I really enjoyed the range of women who were covered, particularly the more historical and less well known women, such as Artemisia of Caria, Tamar of Georgia and Catherine the Great (although the latter is quite well known!) Some of the women were more ‘battle queens’ than others, with some actually wielding weapons and others managing tactics. What unites all of them, though, is a determination to win for their people.

I found the style and tone of this book interesting, although I did find some of the shorter, earlier biographies easier to read than the later, longer ones. I would have quite liked more of the shorter length chapters for more women, especially as there does not seem to have been a shortage of women who went to war one to two thousand years ago. Some of the later chapters did drag a little, but all were readable and I liked the slightly lighter tone of the book in comparison to other weighty history tomes. Overall, a book that I enjoyed and will be passing on to my husband, who was very impressed by the bits I read to him at the beginning!

2021 Book #1 – The Ghost Tree

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – The third (and currently last) in the Betty Church series of books, ‘The Ghost Tree’ is split across two time frames – Betty’s childhood in 1914 and her ‘current’ time at the beginning of the second world war. Betty’s childhood is shaped by the loss of her best friend, Etterly, in 1914, who goes inside ‘the ghost tree’ whilst her friends are playing rounders, and never emerges. In the current time line, a skeleton is found of a young girl, and Betty is convinced that it is the body of Etterly. However, not everything is as it seems, and Betty must delve deep into memories of her past to try and find the truth behind her friend’s disappearance.

My Rating – for this year, whilst I will be including my Goodreads rating, I will also be giving a more precise rating (as Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars!). I’ve rated this 4.5/5.

My Thoughts – I have really enjoyed listening to the Betty Church books and have found them both interesting and entertaining. I really enjoy the characters of Betty and Dodo, together with the tongue in cheek style of writing used by the author. I have to say, though, that I think this one is my favourite of all three of the books. I found the split storyline a really good way to get to know characters, especially Betty, better. The storyline as a whole was immersive and had a number of threads to it which came together in the end to a bittersweet but satisfying ending.

I also liked the fact that the author went into more depth to make the characters more three-dimensional and interesting – especially in terms of Toby Gregson and Constable Box – both of whom are quickly becoming my favourite male characters in the story. So, why 4.5 stars? The author has set up beautifully for a new book that will lead straight on from the this one – however, that does mean that he has left a number of questions that could have done with being explored in this book. He also leaves a key bit of action out at the end of the story which may be in the next one, but made the book feel like it just stopped. Hopefully, there will be a new Betty Church book soon!

End of 2020!

Well, if nothing else, this year has been a surprise! I can’t believe that just over a year ago I set up this blog, and since then I have been through a pandemic, a house move and, of course, 73 books. I have loved contributing to this blog with my thoughts on the books I’ve read, and will be continuing with this next year. My aim for this year was to read (or listen to) 50 books, which I have surpassed, so I am setting a target of 75 books next year – we will see what happens! I have so many books on my TBR pile that I won’t be doing the reading challenge, I will just continue with picking books out of my list!

So, for your delectation and delight – here are my 2020 books!

Thank you for reading my book blog this year! I am super excited to carry on reading and listening, and adding to my continually growing TBR pile.

TBR Pile #23 – Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon

Medium – Book

About the Book – Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are at the denouement of a case involving a purloining St Nicholas when they are approached by a beautiful young woman, Eve Allerthorpe, who believes that she is being haunted by a Christmas Demon. Her late mother, who committed suicide last Christmas, told her stories of the Christmas Demon before her death, and now Eve believes that she is being hounded to insanity. If she is found not to be ‘in sound mind’ she will not receive the great fortune willed to her by an eccentric aunt on her twenty-first birthday, falling on Christmas Eve. Holmes and Watson travel to Yorkshire to stay at the manor and investigate the crime, but soon the haunting becomes more ‘real’ as a member of the household is found dead. Will Holmes and Watson save the family, and Eve’s sanity?

My Thoughts – I really enjoyed the first of the Holmes stories by James Lovegrove and was looking forward to reading this one over the Christmas period. The first thing to say was that it wasn’t a bad story – it was gripping in places and although it was fairly clear throughout that certain things were going to happen, there were some surprises and twists which helped keep me entertained. Unlike other books I have read over the Christmas period in previous years, I can’t say that this one kept me completely hooked, but that might be more due to the outside world than the book!

I just think that this book was one that I would have enjoyed more if I felt that the Holmes and Watson characters were either a little more in keeping or their friendship was better explored. I felt that these were two characters operating very much separately, rather than the almost ‘brother-like’ relationship that I feel the characters have in the canon stories and those non-canon ones I have read in the past. So overall, a good book, but not one I would come back to time and time again.

TBR Pile #22 – The Room of the Dead

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – The second in the Betty Church Mystery series, this time, Betty Church and her colleagues at Sackwater Station are dealing with the mundanities of life – missing slippers, dogs and other unexciting occurrences. But soon, the war comes to Sackwater, and a street is bombed, killing a whole family and injuring our intrepid heroine. Betty emerges from hospital into the beginning of a spate of murders and missing persons cases, which only she can solve.

My Thoughts – I really enjoyed the first Betty Church book, so picked up the audiobook of the second in an Amazon sale. The second book is excellent, and I think I may have enjoyed it more than the first one. The characters are more developed in this instalment, with Betty being a bit less frosty and Dodo being a little less irritating. I enjoyed seeing the characters’ relationships with each other develop, especially that between Betty and Toby Gregson, the newspaperman, although a lot of this part of the story is referred to in passing rather than actually explored. Betty’s work as a police officer definitely takes precedence over any personal relationships. Being someone who likes those bits of the story though, I would like them a bit more established!

The mystery element of the story was excellent and a complete surprise. I couldn’t guess who it was going to be by the end of the story (unlike the last Betty Church book), which was fantastic, and meant that I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I’m in the midst of listening to the third book in the series at the moment, and am finding that number two, so far, is definitely my favourite!

TBR Pile #21 – Troy

Medium – Audiobook

About the Book – Following on from his tales of the gods (Mythos) and the great heroes (Heroes), Stephen Fry takes us back to Ancient Greece for his third in the series, Troy. Unsurprisingly, this book tells the story of the legend of the Trojan war, with Fry’s wonderful mixture of humorous narrative and dialogue which makes his books so readable. We join legendary characters such as Achilles, Helen, Paris, Hector, Priam and Agamemnon in the 10 year battle of Troy, from the spark of the battle to the very end. In this story, we find gods, magic, murder, death and love, alongside really likeable and dislikeable characters.

My Thoughts – This book has been the one book I have wanted to read all year. Ever since I heard that Stephen Fry would be doing a sequel to his wonderful Mythos and Heroes, I have been waiting with baited breath for the next installment. And I wasn’t disappointed. Fry approaches the Greek myths and legends with such humour and interest. His retelling of such strange and often confusing stories are easily understandable and clear. The characters each have their own voices and stories. Despite the many different characters introduced in the course of the story, I rarely got confused about who was who. This was of course helped by Fry’s narration, which was, as usual for anything he narrates, marvellous.

This is one of those books that I will keep coming back to. I find the stories strangely calming, despite the often slightly gory undertones, and enjoy listening back over the stories again and again, always noticing something different on each listen. And this is definitely one book that I would heartily recommend the audiobook for!