‘The Unseen’ by Katherine Webb

Three words.

Oh. My.  Giddy (19^th Century) Aunt. 

Okay, that’s more than three, but you get the gist, right?  This book has turned my head.  Usually I get sniffy and apathetical towards anything with a ‘period/historical’ tag. Unless it’s on telly.  Because, I think I have a real problem with not having enough detachment from my current surroundings to relate properly to another era. I’m better with televisual things because they’re straight in my face, so to speak.

Not so with ‘The Unseen’.

I can’t tell you the last time I got so involved in a book so quickly and so effortlessly.  Because there hasn’t been a time.  I couldn’t just see the characters and watch their lives unfurl as cinematic pictures in my head, smell the canal and the wildflowers, feel the awkwardness and the rigidity of the times, I was actually there.  Living with these people.  This is a pure delight from start to finish.  And what a finish. 

The title gives nothing away.  Neither does the cover picture.  In fact quite the opposite.  There I was, expecting to be a bit scared and a bit ignorant of the language of the time, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.  The story is just so simple and yet so powerful and so evocative of the time that I’m still not sure who I loved the most.

Leah, the heartbroken journalist who is given the chance to write a story of a lifetime (or two) by her Ex. 

Cat the fresh-from gaol 19^th Century suffragette who somehow knows she wasn’t born be a servant girl. 

Hetty, the incredibly patient wife of the uptight, obsessive (about their recent enigmatic Theologist guest) Reverend Canning, or Sophie Bell, the larger-than-life cook of the Canning household.

Following Leah as she traces the story of the 19^th Century household, we’re drawn into their suspicions, their desires, their secrets and their quite tragic personal circumstances.  ‘The Unseen’ was such a moving, beautifully drawn piece of work which drew me in so completely that I was walking about with it in my head in the real world and actually felt a little bereaved when I knew I was nearing the end.

I shall be ordering Katherine’s last novel, The Legacy, on the strength of this lovely writing.

And now I’m a Historical convert. Something I never thought I’d hear myself saying.

Oh, and I should say a massive THANK YOU to the lovely Virtual Victorian, Essie Fox, for drawing my (winning) name out of the competition hat and posting me this fabulous book - serendipity.

I Interviewed Lisa Jewell!

I know!

Lovely publisher people, Random House sent me Lisa's new book, 'The Making of Us' (and it's not even released yet!)  I couldn't wait - and couldn't STOP reading it... it's just UTTERLY,  UTTERLY FABULOUS,  there's no other way of saying it.  It should be on prescription, it should be made compulsory reading,  it should be posted through everybody's letterboxes immediately.  Everyone should read this.   And if they don't, well then, they have no soul.

And if you pop over to Strictly Writing right now you can see what Lisa has to say about this new, utterly, utterly fabulous book (oh, did I say that already?) and other things besides. And there's even *whisper* talk of a movie!

Oh, and while you're here, why not read "Why Lisa is the Jewell in my Crown"  post I wrote last year, which I've just noticed that nobody commented on at the time, so I don't know if anybody actually, like, read it or not.  Anyway, if you click on the Lisa Jewell link tag at the end of this post, it'll take you to it (hopefully, I'm not the best at technical wizzardry).

Happy Friday everypeeps!

Some Book Reviews

THE GLASS PAINTER'S DAUGHTER

I finished this book a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Main character, Fran is drawn back into both her own childhood due to the hospitalisation of her father (she has to return to her home-town to take care of his glass studio) and also into the past of Laura, the rector's daughter whose journals Fran finds hidden in her father's flat above his studio.
I'm not a great fan of 'flashbacks' but as these didn't form the main character's life, they became almost a separate story and I loved the idea of both characters living on the same street, a century apart and  found myself rooting for both girls.
The only slight problem I had was with the amount of 'sub-stories' that were going on at the same time and I thought some of these could have been diluted at no expense to the enjoyment of the book.
Highly recommended.

THE SWEETEST THING

Having never read any of Cathy Woodman's books before (she's also written 'Trust me, I'm a Vet' and 'Must Be Love') I was a bit sceptical, especially with the cutesy cover.  Immediately I thought this would be TOO sweet for my taste and after about the fourth mention of Aga's in so many pages, I very... very  nearly stopped reading.

Main character Jennie started off annoying me - especially as I'm also a (not so) jolly divorcee myself and when she takes her three children from the city following her divorce and moves to a tatty white cottage in the country, starts buying hens, falling in love even though she's determined not to, sets up a cake-making business and buys her daughter a pony, I actually started hating her for her bloody good fortune.  And then I remembered this was fiction..... give her a break etc... deep breath..... and continue....
It was VERY sweet and very cutesy and a bit predictable but I found myself absolutely rooting for main character Jennie towards the end when her troubled teenage son starts to upset everything she's been striving for.  Light and fluffy,  I wouldn't have read this if the lovely Random House people hadn't sent it to me, but I'm very happy I did.

THE SECRET HISTORY

Everybody else seems to have read this.  Or they know someone who has.  So it was only a matter of time before I succumbed. And as it's become a contemporary classic there's even more reason to see what it's all about.
I'd say it was like a cross between 'Shallow Grave' and 'Prep' which hopefully doesn't give too much away and I could see it as a film (is it/has it been already? I'm so far behind everything in the normal world).  And although it was getting on for 600 pages, I did enjoy it.  I would have preferred shorter chapters and for two of the main characters NOT to have been called Charles and Camilla for the obvious reasons, but apart from that, I thought it was a good read. I wouldn't have used 'compelling' or 'harrowing' or any of the other extraneous plaudits given it, but it was definitely thought-provoking with some excellent dialogue.


THE MAKING OF US
I've saved the best 'til last.
Being in front of a crackling fire on a chilly night, being enveloped in a sofa that literally hugs you, feeling the warmth of the sun after the bleak greyness of winter.... this is how reading a Lisa Jewell book makes me feel.
I can't remember the last time I was so excited about getting a book through the post - a pre-publication copy hot off the press which made it all the more thrilling - and it was an absolute JOY.  From the very first sentence, I knew it would be.

There aren't many writers who can make me feel so wrapped up in a story, who can create such believable characters that I instantly fall in love with, want to protect and actually feel a need to befriend.  'The Making of Us' is like that stunning piece of art you can't avoid staring at -  it's beautiful, it's simple and it's so perfectly painted that you can't believe nobody's done it before.

Lydia, Dean and Robyn don't know each other.  And they don't know Daniel is their father.  Add on-line Donor Sibling Registration and you have the ingredients of a fabulous,  tightly-written, compelling, deeply moving novel you can't help but be swept away by.

Oh,  I've also had the amazing good fortune to be able to ask Lisa some questions for a special guest spot on Strictly Writing where she'll be appearing on Friday 6th May - make a date in your diary!




Right now I've just started reading THE UNSEEN by Katherine Webb and am thoroughly enjoying it - thanks to the lovely Essie Fox, aka the Virtual Victorian and author of the upcoming novel, 'The Somnambulist' for running the giveaway competition on her beautiful blog and for picking me as a winner!

What I've been Reading:

'From Notting Hill With Love... Actually' does precisely what it says on the cover.  Even before this plopped through my Amazon-shaped letter box, I knew I would love it. (Who says I never look forward to anything?! Alright, me, usually) It didn't disappoint.  Okay, so I knew who the main character was going to find her Happy Ending with right from the start, but then half the enjoyment of rom-com movies is already knowing this, and wanting it to happen and just revelling in the sheer pleasure of watching it all unfurl before our eyes.  This was just lovely.  And at one point I even cried (no, not even at the ending - that was predictably, perfectly Happy) real, proper tears.  This is unusual for me.  Not since Marian Keyes' 'Is Anybody Out There' have I been known to shed a wet one - and that was the ending.  So to have me proper weep mid-way through a book must be a sign of it's goodness.

 'The One That Got Away'  was a real test to read with one hand in front of my eyes.  As the title suggests, the whole premise is a 'what if'... which reminded me of Emily Giffin's 'Love the one You're With' (like, NOW, not THEN) book, but any similarity in my head stopped there.  It' felt like a continual cliffhanger and the voices in my head were screaming "No, no, don't do it - can't you SEE what will happen?" virtually all the way through.  Talk about heart-in-mouth moments.

And speaking of the FAB-U-LOUS Emily Giffin (whose first book, 'Something Borrowed' is currently "in-the-can" (which is movie-speak for has been made I believe) and a trailer imminent... not that I'm obsessed or anything *I LOVE YOU EMILY!*  her latest book 'Heart of the Matter' is just stunning.  I knew it would be.  See - another eagerly awaited which didn't disappoint.  The characterisations are so spot-on and so disarmingly diametrically opposed that half the admiration is in how brilliantly they are woven together to produce such a flawless piece of art.  yes, it's art.  At it's finest.  Get it, read it.  You'll be drooling for a back catalogue of Ms Giffin's works. Seriously.

It's taken me a while to get round to reading 'Avalon High' which has more to do with the 'system' in the room we fondly to refer to as the 'Study' (it's the smallest room of the house stacked to the rafters with books, paper, more books, leads that lead precisely nowhere and yet more books, you get the idea...).  And although The Girl has always referred to this as her favourite read of all time, I just wasn't convinced by it's very loud pink and shouty cover and the fact it's got some kind of Girl Warrior wielding a sword on the outside.  Don't get me wrong, I like Teenage fiction, I just though this might be pushing it a bit.  But the minute I read the opening bars of Tennyson's "The Lady of Shallott" I  realised I'd died and gone to Literary Heaven. This was poem that got me through my A-levels.  If it hadn't been for the Willows whitening, the Aspens quivering and the bower eaves entombing the fair maiden who was cursed from looking out of her window onto Camelot, then I'd have given up mid-term.  For 2 years I was the Lady of Shallott.  Sometimes I still am. And the story was just lovely. It brought back all my hormonal feelings, in a good way and made me feel happy.  And a book that can transport and evoke such feelings HAS to go to the top of the pile.

Rowan Coleman has been a 'Friend' on Facebook for ages and I've watched as this book has evolved, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on 'The Happy Home for Broken Hearts'.  It was just perfect. Just as lovely as the cover suggests.  As you can see - that's back and front... although I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't actually a pushbike used in the story (I don't think, anyway).  I loved that the Main Character was so ordinary and had self-doubts and issues way above the norm, and I loved that her Hero (which, once again, you kind of knew right from the start he would be) was equally so realistic and loveable.  And as one who doesn't ordinarily *heart* children characters, Charlie was a breath of fresh air.  He didn't whine, he didn't demand, he didn't distract from the lovely flow of the blossoming storyline and in fact he was an essential part and I could have hugged him to certain death.  I didn't want it to end, and it disappeared rather too quickly - like a Pavlova on a Summer's Day.

Currently I'm reading Sharon Osborne's Revenge' which, once again is another *DJABBIC* book.  it's rather cleverly covered in silver-dust and I'm sure Sharon must've had the diabolically hapless housewife in mind for her reading audience as this is a book which will NEVER gather dust because it's already stuck fast to it in a lovely shimmery way.
I can't believe how far through it I already am - only 4 days in.  It's a bright, breezy, fun read and although the characters aren't brilliantly sculpted, the story doesn't really warrant too much depth.  And  one of them, I'm almost sure has a definite Simon Cowell feel to him.  It's a  page-turning mood-enhancer... and it's got plenty of hot sex if you like your read a bit spicy - rather reminiscent of  the early Bonkbuster.

So that's where I am.  How 'bout you?

What I'm Reading

Having finished my lovely friend Claire Allan's fourth book "It's Got to be Perfect", I’m now reading some other entertaining stuff and thought you might be interested:

On the loo (no, really. Okay then, does it sound better to say “in the bathroom”?) we have ‘Bad Karma’ by David Safier.

I blogged about the rather unusual premise for this a while back, but if you don't remember, you’ll just have to take my word for it… it’s just utterly, utterly fabulous escapism. I’ve never heard of, let alone read, a surreal rom-com, so this is a first. And hopefully not a last. It keeps me chuckling… well, all the way. If you know what I mean.  I can't remember the last time a Main Character was so concerned about her four-legged brother mating with her and her siblings - and I shall never see Cassanova in quite the same way after his appearances in this book.  Buy it. Seriously, you'll smile so much.


And in bed, we have “My So-Called Haunting” by Tamsyn Murray. Such a refreshing, funny book all about a teenager called Skye who has psychic abilities and lives with her Aunt who also has them. Between them they help ghosts who are ‘stuck’ in the living world, for whatever reason, move over to theirs. The ghost in this case is a scared, suspicious teenage boy who's the victim of a gang-related crime.  It's touching, clever and imaginative and what I love even more about this book is that it links so beautifully with Tamsyn’s last (and debut I believe) book “My So-Called Afterlife” but not in a ‘sequelly-type’ way. I love it when this happens – it makes the reader feel all clever having a bit more background knowledge… or that could just be smug-me.

And on the To Be Read pile, we have the Man Booker Prizewinner, “The Finkler Question” by Howard Jacobson, which I read the opening chapter to on-line and though it was great stuff.   “A Dry Spell” by Clare Chambers, “Leaving Poppy” by Kate Cann and “In a Summer Season” by Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one).
I’ve also been lent “On the Other Hand” by Chris Cleave which I’m told is fab too.

Christmas shopping? Oh no – this is WAY more fun!

OMG It's Got To Be Perfect, I'm 40!

I feel very privileged to tell you that two of my loveliest writer friends have new books coming/out right now!


The funny, talented and super-storyteller, Claire Allan has her fourth book "It's got to be Perfect" out on the 28th - that's next Tuesday to me and you... and not only that, but she's also guest-appearing on the other site I write for, Strictly Writing on that day.   So make a note of it in your diary, set your mobile to vibrate or something and come on over, there'll be fresh muffins and all sorts (in a 'virtual' kinda way, obvs).

And whilst you're waiting for the release of Claire's latest bound-to-be-bestselling-book, why not head out right NOW and get a copy of my gorgeous Witchy friend, Deborah Durbin's latest book, "Oh My God, I'm 40!".  You're either heading that way, know someone who is, or fancy being all ironic towards your twenty-something friends, right?  Either way, this book is a MUST HAVE for any woman approaching the summer of her years.  And what a fab way to fill somebody's stocking this Christmas, eh?

Personally I don't see the big deal in turning 40.  But then women my age ALWAYS say things like that, which just goes to show how old they really are...
Of course having a *29 year old boyfriend at the time, helped me overcome all kinds of obstacles with the turning 40 malarkay. Ah, happy days!

*He turned 30 a few weeks after, which sounds a lot more respectable, don't you think?! (also he was the one with the pipe, slippers and hair cascading from his ears/nose, so there's not always so much glamour associated with the Younger Man, I can assure you!)