A Lamb feast

I have two books to recommend both written by the same author. My friends that know me, know that I love a bargain. Both these books were 'bargains' by virtue of their sheer size (number of pages) - I really felt I was getting my money's worth! I was also really fascinated by both these books but they are completely different stories - one I loved and one I was intrigued, repulsed and haunted by.

The first....Wally Lamb's 'I Know This Much is True'. It is a huge read and took a while to get into, but then I couldn't put it down and was completely absorbed by the characters and the interwoven stories.

Without giving too much away, I Know This Much is True centers on Dominick Birdsey's whose entire life has been ruled by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a split-and-polish ex-Navy man, and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious.


Searching for answers for the disfunctional relationships that exist in his family and his personal life, Dominick turns to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. 

Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confessional--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick leans that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, comparing with his current life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive his ancestors, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the shadow of his twin.


It is a mammoth book, but one I would highly recommend.

The second book...Wally Lamb's 'She's Come Undone'.

This book has stayed with me for a long time - and some bits of it I would rather I had forgotten. "Mine is a story of craving: an unreliable account of lusts and troubles that began, somehow, in 1956 on the day our free television was delivered...."

Meet Dolores Price. She"s 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she"s determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly-up.

The book covers many topics including the fact that her mother had a mental illness and her own abuse at the hands of a neighbour are taboo topics at that time and her family ignores it all.  I found it difficult to like Dolores and her obesity issues but it was a compelling read. The fact that this book was written by a male author is amazing as he writes so convincingly about the trauma and emotional battles facing this teenage girl.

I would definitely recommend this book as it tells an amazing story and is brilliantly written, but I can't say that I loved all the topics or felt too much compassion for the main character - maybe that's just me?

A quirky tale

I loved this book!

It was the perfect suggestion from Kate - something uplifting, different and beautiful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society intrigued me from the title alone. The book did not disappoint.

The book starts in 1946 at a time when London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Whilst she is contemplating subjects, she receives a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.

As Juliet and he exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and its a great eccentric and fascinating world. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—created on the spur of the moment as an alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—provides a wonderful and funny cast of characters and gorgeous stories from all of them.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

What I loved about the book was also all the other correspondence between Juliet and her London based friends - very clever, witty and engaging. What I didn't enjoy was the fact that there were no chapters - and therefore it was impossible to put this book down - I loved it (I think I may have already alluded to this!).


One thought for you - prompted by this quote in the book: 'Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers' - do you think sometimes you choose books by your choice or is it fate that guides you to read them? I just think there have been occasions that I have picked up a book (seemingly randomly) in a shop, and it has spoken perfectly to me at that particular time or need. Just a thought...

Cheap books!

Image from http://www.flickr.com

I realise I am probably the last person in Australia to know about this, but I have just been introduced to  http://www.bookdepository.co.uk . 

I have heard feedback from a couple of people that have already purchased books from the site and have been really happy with the speed of the delivery (free delivery!!) and the service from the website. The books are considerably cheaper that buying them here and considering how many books my household goes through, I can't believe I haven't heard of them before. 

Thanks girls for the tip.

Still Alice

Still Alice by Lisa Genova is the account of a woman's discovery that she has early onset Alzheimer's disease and her story as her health and mental ability declines.

Lisa Genova, a Ph.D. in neuroscience who writes extensively about Alzheimer’s, has written a beautiful story, Still Alice, about a woman, Alice,  in her early 50s who learns she has early-onset Alzheimer’s. Somewhat ironically, Alice lives by words and how the brain works or doesn’t: she is a professor at Harvard in cognitive psychology and presents at a conferences around the world annually. The novel details how Alice discovers the disease, how she deals with telling her family and, most difficult, her colleagues, and how she pares down her daily activities to accommodate her diagnosis and increasing limitations.


Through the book Alice finds it increasingly difficult to imagine who she is without her ability to hold down a job or go for a run. When she starts not to recognize her children – or calls her daughter by her long-dead mother’s name – she puts a plan of action in place. She gives herself mental tests on a daily basis, and she decides that when she can no longer answer these fairly straightforward questions, she will pull her own plug.


Although this is a extremely sad topic about a disease with no cure, it was a lovely book to read and to once again make me appreciate how lucky I am to have good health, family and friends. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the topic or to book clubs as there are many issues worthy of discussion.