Merry Christmas

I'm well aware that I haven't posted for a while. Aside from studying, I'm madly trying to prepare for Christmas and read at the same time. My cousin gave me Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett which I am trying to make my way through. I know, I can hear what you're saying.....firstly, doesn't Ken Follett just do bad spy pulp? and secondly, why am I reading this? Well, no Mr Follett has ventured back into the Middle Ages for this 1000 page page-turner, and further, I wanted something 'light' and fast for the Christmas holidays. After a tortuous first couple of chapters I sinking faster into the story and turning pages more quickly than you can say Santa Clause. It's fun but I'll let you know whether I make it to page 1000!!!

After that, my book club is onto The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfeld. I've had good reports so am looking forward to this one.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all. Looking forward to catching up in the New Year.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards

I read this in an afternoon's sitting. It was enjoyable and somewhat compelling but at the same time it felt somewhat lacking in editing.

It had first novel marked all over it and I'm not sure if it is but I have a feeling I might be right. While I enjoyed the characters, I didn't necessarily feel their emotion and I'm not sure that at the end of the day I really cared about them. Does that make sense? The only reason I say this is because I think the book was intended to centre on the characters and therefore you expect to be more compelled by them than you eventually are. Most of them are not particularly likeable and while that can be part of clever writing, I don't think that was the intention of the writer in the case of this book. I suspect her intention was to create characters all of whom possess certain traits that the reader is meant to identify with but don't think this aspect was particularly successful.

It was leant to me again by my friend Elisabeth and I enjoyed the attention and time it consumed. I just didn't feel totally satisfied at the end. Perhaps sit down one late morning on a particularly unhospitable day with a mug of coffee and a muffin. You'll finish the coffee and muffin way before the novel but you won't necessarily pick yourself up for refills.