Well dear friends, back in the blogosphere after a long, long time. Thought I'd give you my musings on the Women's Prize For Fiction shortlist for 2013.
You can find the official site and the list here:-

http://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/2013-prize/2013-shortlist

Now we've had a rotten winter here in the UK, the economy is dire, the world is in a mess so what do we need? *Cheerful* reading is what. Happy endings, lovely people, cute heroines, lovely heroes, pussycats, dimply babies; *anything* to bring a smile and; pierce the gloom.
Does the list deliver? Oh no,with 3(ish) exceptions, a more miserable set of gloomfests I've yet to read so I thought I'd spare you the trouble.

Here we go:-

Life After Life: someone dies over and; over again.(And not peacefully folks!) I only lasted to young adulthood and then couldn't bear to go on.

May We Be Forgiven:misery heaped on misery and as for the Tampax episode let's not go there.That was the point at which I stopped.

Flight Behaviour: the mountain was about to collapse on the little family, they had no money, it never stopped raining, the butterflies kept dying, the forest was going to be logged and *there was no money for Christmas presents*. I almost curled up in despair at this point but ploughed on and; it did deliver a cheerful(ish) ending.Gutsy heroine appealed but very, very worthy tome.

NW: ok once I tuned into the style but I though the book just sort of stopped.

Bring Up The Bodies:  I give nothing away to those who know history when I say that the ending to this was never going to be cheerful. Redeemed by the glorious writing and; marvellous characterisation.

Where'd You Go Bernadette?:  Things couldn't get worse than they do for this family but an uplifting ending and writing that is laugh out loud funny makes this my favourite of the short list. Way too cheerful to win tho.

Oh yes, you'd better have something happy to look at before I go, here tis:_

Tale Of Twin Towers Aftermath

Sorry folks, been an age since I last blogged, the Orange Prize 2012 has been & gone & been won (by an excellent novel I might add)

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5154153174017462967#editor/target=post;postID=8879252851882613719

 & I'm still finishing reviews of the long list, eeek!

Amy Waldman's "The Submission" has been intensively reviewed by people way better able than me to analyze & discuss the plot. What I've decided to do is to link you to a review which says everything that I would have liked to say about the novel had I only got the skill, & then I'll tell you what I thought of it as an amateur reader. Bit of a kop out I know but it does mean that you get to read a very decent review.

Here's the link to the  review by Kamila Shamsie :-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/24/the-submission-amy-waldman-review

Hope you enjoyed that :)

I did like this book, it was very thoughtful & certainly made me view the events from angles that I wouldn't have thought to consider. I was particularly moved by the character Asma Anwar & her courage as she fought to ensure that her husband, who died in the disaster, was remembered & treated in the same way as all the other victims, despite being an illegal immigrant.
However, I was rather unconvinced by the ending of the book. I didn't believe that the character Mohammad Khan would have taken the route that the novelist took him down & there was a distinct sense of plot lines being slightly forced in order to dovetail neat endings.
So, all in all, I would recommend this & I will certainly be looking out for further books by this author.

Liz The Legend, Larger Than Life

I'm an eclectic girl as my profile warns & I do have a penchant for a juicy biog.  full of gossip & outrageous stories. This one delivers on all fronts. "Elizabeth Taylor: The Lady, The Lover, The Legend "by David Bret is cram full of scandal,  colossal film budgets, Hollywood mega stars, more than one or two husbands  & consumption on such a scale that epic doesn't begin to describe it! Oh, and don't forget the jewels!!! At the end of all this excess, however, you can't help but admire the lady, she sure as heck took life by the scruff & went for it.

It's hard to describe what a star Elizabeth Taylor was . The husband in tow when I was first aware of her was Richard Burton & they seemed so unbelievably glamorous that, when they visited Oxford, it was as if royalty from another planet had landed. A friend is still star struck by their car being parked outside his Mum's house (he never actually saw them but the car was enough!)

 The picture comes courtesy of The Oxford Mail & is from their obituary tribute by local people. Read it here:-
www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8928212.City_pays_tribute_to_film_legend_Liz_Taylor/
Elizabeth Taylor apparently saw at least some of the book before she died & aides told David Bret that it made her laugh. This is one of the things that you can't help but like about her, the ability to appreciate her own outrageousness and carry on regardless. It's not the most in depth biography you could read but is pacy & balanced although I don't agree with Bret's dismissal of her film career. I think that she certainly starred in some monstrous turkeys & that she had it in her to play much greater roles than she did, but her luminous screen presence will keep you watching a movie, however dire, waiting for her next appearance.
There is no doubt that Elizabeth Taylor's faults were many, but Bret conveys her courage (she saved Montgomery Clift's life by crawling into a crashed car that was leaking petrol), her loyalty to her friends (her devotion to poor Rock Hudson in the face of the appalling animosity he faced as he died from Aids), & the truly tremendous work she did, both in raising millions of dollars for research into Aids & breaking down the prejudices that surrounded  victims (in the early days of the awful disease she put her career on the line to do so). A riotous tribute to an awesome life & crammed full of wonderful anecdotes from Hollywood stars, friends & startled members of the public. We shall not see her like again.

Orange Shortlist Is Here

Images in public domain

Exciting! The Orange prize shortlist for 2012 is here!

http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/prize.html


One of my favourites, "Half Blood Blues" has made it through but I've still got 2 of the finalists to read before the announcement on May 30th. I think all of the finalists are worthy to be there. I've experienced some fine writing in the ones I've read so far.

Maqil Takes Flight

"From the day he was delivered in Lahore, Pakistan, alongside his stillborn twin, he proved he was a born survivor. He has been a master of flying escapes, from Cairo to Paris, from London to Hong Kong, humbled by love, outliving his peers, and ending up old and alone in a budget hotel in Biarritz some eighty years later. His chequered history is catching up with him: his tracks have been uncovered and his latest wife, his children, his creditors and former business associates, all want to pin him down. But even at the end, Maqil just can't resist trying it on; he's still playing his game, and the game won't be over until it's been won."

This synopsis of The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki is taken from her website. Read more here:-

www.headline.co.uk/bookdetails.aspx?BookID=227803

This is the first time I'd read anything by Roopa Farooki &I liked this book. It's pacy, light & very funny in places. However, in the end  I just couldn't like Maqil. I could admire his determination not to be tied down & to live as he chose but could not ignore or forgive the damage he did to others on the way. I think that I was expected to feel sorry for him as he realised that he had lost the love of his life, that his children hardly knew him & that, ultimately, he wasn't as special as he thought he was. But, as all of his miseries were self inflicted, I reserved my feelings of sadness for those around him who were left to deal with the mess he created. I do think that Roopa Farooki has created a character who will strike chords & I would recommend the story. However, I don't think there is enough balance in Maqil to make him a truly great literary character, he is too selfish & cowardly & lacks the sheer depth of badness that would make a really excellent villain. However, I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.

Creepy Canter On The Racetrack

Lord Of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon is set in the world of low grade dirt track racing.Broken down horses race at seedy racetracks where the owners & trainers lead a hand to mouth existence & everybody is trying to make a fast buck. The old man, Medicine Ed, has inhabited this world for his whole life & has seen it all. When Tommy Hansel & his girlfriend Maggie arrive with their horses & their plan Ed knows just how things will pan out.

As Tommy's schemes lead him, and especially Maggie, further & further into a  criminal & dangerous landscape, Ed watches & does what he can to influence events using the dark arts he has accumulated throughout his life.
I am a huge fan of  English racing & fairly familiar with how things work in America so I didn't find it too difficult to follow through the plot, even though the characters are set tightly within the parameters they inhabit &, consequently, talk its language. One note which may be of use to non American readers is that "red" horses are chestnuts. I would also emphasis that the story is set in the 1970s & the racing industry on both sides of the Atlantic is much more humane & welfare centred now.
I wouldn't describe this as the world's most cheerful read, it's one of those plots where the road to disaster is wide & well trodden & the characters duly follow it. I also didn't really like anybody. It's hard to feel empathy for dislikeable characters, especially those who profess to love their horses & then treat them despicably.
I did enjoy the sustained air of dark menace that created a really strong atmosphere with the sense that the characters were being manipulated by forces beyond their perception & control. Would recommend this if you are in the mood for a bit of creepy chill.

An Amazonian Wonder

Dr. Annick Swenson is a scientist researching an Amazonian tribe where women stay fertile for their whole life. She is being sponsored by a drug company who want reports of her progress & are failing to get them. A fellow scientist, Anders Eckman, is sent to see what is happening . Then a letter arrives from Dr. Swenson announcing that Anders has died in the jungle. Pressurised by her boss & begged by Anders' widow, his colleague Marina Singh reluctantly sets out for the Amazon to find Dr. Swenson & discover what happened to Anders.

I do not like jungles, humidity, things with too many legs, things that slither & things that lurk about waiting to bite you. This novel is full of those things & it has scientists! I would never have picked this up in a bookshop after reading the plot synopsis. Initially, I did think that Mrs W. & I were going to have our second Orange Prize long list disagreement as she thoroughly enjoyed the book & has flagged it as a strong contender for the short list.
cardigangirlverity.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/orange-2012-state-of-wonder-ann.html
Well, having almost given up in the early chapters, I have ended up agreeing with her. Despite the nasty setting, the bitey things, the thoroughly unpleasant & (in my opinion) more than a little deranged Dr. Swensen; the book delivers my number one must have, a rattling good tale. It's mysterious, exciting & twists deliciously to spice up the ending.
Any author who can make me like a novel which had started off by flagging just about every "why I am never going to read this" item on my list has got to be good. Give it a go & thank you Mrs W. for the lend.