The Dandelion Years: Erica James

The first Erica James book I read was "Tell it to the Skies" about six years ago when I received it as a christmas present. I gobbled it up in one sitting before delving into any of her other books I could get my twitching hands on. Since working my way through her earlier books I have had to join every other reader and wait (not so) patiently for new releases. Of course I had Erica's latest offering on pre-order but due to an endless exam period and numerous essays that demanded my attention I was unable to read it until recently. It was worth the wait, as per usual I wasn't disappointed. Yet another brilliant book from Erica James!

"The Dandelion Years" focuses on two different time periods. Saskia is in her thirties but still lives at home with her father and two grandfathers since the death of her mother and grandmothers when she was younger. They have created a safe contained world for themselves and none of them want to nor feel they need to make a change. Saskia and her father, Ralph, work with books, selling and repairing them. Then enters Matthew who is in the process of sorting out his somewhat surrogate father Jacob Belinsky's house following his death. He enlists the help of Saskia and Ralph in dealing with the endless book collection he left behind. In the process they unearth a secret journal, penned "The Dandelion Years" which brings to life the tale of a man who worked for Bletchley Park during the second world war. Saskia delves into this tale of wartime love whilst dealing with changes that are occurring within her own life.

I am a sucker for historical fiction and this book offered a glimpse into Bletchley Park during the second world war. I loved that Erica gave so much time to Jacob and Kitty's story, I have experienced in the past dual narratives and often one is always compromised. In " The Dandelion Years" however there was a brilliant balance between the present day tale and its historical counterpart. Usually when a book is split between two narratives I often prefer one. On this occasion I would struggle to pick one over the other, they both offered something valuable to the overall story. I wouldn't have done without either. I liked the juxtaposition of the passionate consuming relationship between Jacob and Kitty and the incredibly "normal" relationship between Saskia and Matthew.

I warmed to Saskia very quickly, almost instantly in fact. I was able to relate to her extremely easily and I liked her quiet yet intense nature. Early on the reader learns of her family circumstance and her personality really reflected her childhood experiences. Saskia was both relatable and realistic, I couldn't have asked for much more! Equally I really liked Matthew as a character, he was far from perfect but I suppose that was why I liked him. Ralph and the two grandfathers offered a good contrast to Saskia and equally the character of Libby despite only playing a small role was a welcome addition to the book.

I really enjoyed aunt Jo and uncle Bob as characters and I wish that their presence had been stronger in the book. This is an absolutely minute criticism and of course there were so many other brilliant characters so it wasn't so much that I felt there was something missing but rather I was given a glimpse of their personalities and I just wanted more! I felt that Jo in particular was a brilliant contrast to Saskia and Ralph.

The story was heartbreaking and uplifting in equal parts. A book that makes me cry is a good book indeed and this had me in tears on a number of occasions.

So, would I recommend it? Yes of course I would, Erica James has yet to let me down and this was another brilliant book!

Eilidh

A Change of Heart: Poetry Haul

       

I always hated poetry. Not even mildly but with a proper heartfelt passion. I somewhat prematurely wrote it off as pretentious and since the dreaded days of GCSE and A-Level English I have refused to revisit the poetry we were forced to study. But then out of nowhere I found myself searching out poems to read, I have even become partial to writing the odd (extremely amateur) poem. I think what I enjoy about a poem is the brevity at which a story can be told. As little as half a dozen words can demand attention, evoke emotion and create a whole new world. They are a reminder that a handful of words can speak louder than 300 long pages full to the brim. I like how a poem can be an unintelligible jumble of words yet make so much sense. You can see in a poem what you want, it is open to interpretation and I suppose that is why I have learnt to love them. 

So, I popped into my local Waterstones with the view of kickstarting a poetry collection. I went for names that I recognised and I am going in completely blind so I am not really sure what to expect. I think what I really need is some kind of poetry anthology and I will be on the hunt for one. But in the mean time, these will have to do.

Tales from Ovid: Ted Hughes

        

Collected Poems: Sylvia Plath

        

Selected Poems: Dylan Thomas

        

            New Selected Poems: Carol Ann Duffy

Any recommendations for where to go next on my journey through the world of poetry are very much welcome!

Eilidh 

Book Haul

Ahh the shame of another book haul, another display of books that I really shouldn't have bought as my TBR pile is already endless. BUT, as of a week and a half ago I have been free from exams and as such I couldn't help but have a little celebration in my local Waterstones. It's safe to say that my bank card took a bit of a battering. In one last hurrah to student finance I treated myself to some books that I have been eyeing up for a while. 

The Girls from Corona del Mar: Rufi Thorpe

The Guest Cat: Takashi Hiraide

The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher: Ahn Do-hyun

The Establishment: Owen Jones

The Opposite of Loneliness: Marina Keegan

These may be popping up in book reviews soon so keep an eye out for them!

Eilidh 

One Small Act Of Kindness: Lucy Dillon

Libby and her husband, Jason, have moved back to where he grew up. Their intention is to support his mother in the running of her hotel following the passing of his father. They are leaving behind a past full of problems and Libby is eager to take on the project of running a hotel. She dreams of minimalist design and fancy bath tubs, of course, it doesn't all go smoothly. One day Libby finds that an accident has taken place outside of her hotel. The victim, a girl, who in being hit has lost her memory. With no ID and no knowledge of who she is or where she is from. Libby takes her under her wing as they wait for her memories to return or someone to claim her. But the problems keep coming, nobody said running a hotel was easy and Libby faces her fair share of problems. Meanwhile her newly found friend is left to face the struggles of relearning who you are and who is important to you. 

I thought the concept of this book was simple but brilliant. It was really intresting to watch the girl in the accident relearn who she was and what was important to her. It left the book with a sense of wonder as every now and then something new would be revealed but there was always something held back. I liked how I could anticipate what would happen next but I never quite new. I won't say too much about how the story progressed because the fun of the book was the opportunity it gives the reader to wonder what will be revealed next.

I found Margaret, Jason's mother, infuriating. As I am sure was the intention. Her unquestionable love for her son Jason and her inability to see his faults left me seething. The anger I felt towards her was almost cathartic in parts so it wasn't all bad. There was a nice range of characters, from the incompetent to the competent. Each of them had something to add to the story whether it was good or bad. 

I love love love Lucy's addition of dogs to her stories. Who doesn't love a dog?! Lord Bob was perfect and entertaining and the book wouldn't have been the same without him. I was nice to have a dog who felt like a character in his own right, Lord Bob had a humongous personality and it shone from the pages. 

I liked the ending I just felt as though it could have been elaborated upon. The journey the book took was good and well developed and I felt that the ending was dealt with very quickly. This is a tiny little fault though and is most likely just personal preference!

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book, I loved Lucy's previous book (A Hundred Pieces Of Me) and this was just as good.

Eilidh 

The Sun In Her Eyes: Paige Toon

I am a self confessed addict when it comes to Paige Toon's books. I didn't even hesitate to pre-order her latest release and I couldn't contain my excitement when it landed on my doorstep the other morning. I am happy to report, that I wasn't let down. I gobbled it up in a matter of hours and I only wish that it had gone on longer.

Here's a short overview...

When Amber hears of her father having a stroke she finds herself with no reason not to fly over to Australia to see him. Having just been made redundant she finds herself on a plane, returning to the country she had grown up in, barely glancing back at the husband (Ned) she is leaving behind. Amber falls easily back into her old life, picking up where she left off with best friends Tina and Nell. Of course there is Ethan too, the subject of her childhood crush. He is newly divorced and Amber is faced with a moral dilemma as her loyalties to her husband dwindle.

There was also a sub story of an elderly woman, Doris, who was witness to the car crash that killed Amber's mother when Amber was only three. Doris has held onto the last words Amber's mother said and she is on a quest to fulfil her promise to tell them to Amber. I really liked this idea and I only wish that it had been developed slightly more; not so much in how it ended but rather in how it developed. I also liked the flashbacks to the start of Amber and Ned's relationship which were vital to creating a believable relationship. With Amber fawning over Ethan, it would be easy for the reader to lose sight of her relationship with Ned but thankfully it was kept alive through these flashbacks.

Amber was not my favourite of Paige's protagonists but I have learnt recently that I don't actually have to like a character to enjoy their presence. Amber certainly was flawed and she made some very questionable decisions but she was all the better for it. Of course, I fell for Ethan immediately, he was charming and charismatic. Again, not perfect, and I must say that I finished the book with a very different opinion of him than when I started it.

The story line had just the right amount of twists and turns. Sometimes I felt as though I knew exactly how it was going to end but then Paige would throw a curve ball and I would be left wondering all over again. The ending was not what I expected but I wasn't disappointed.

If you have read any of Paige's books before you will know that some characters pop up in more than one story. I found myself reading this book thinking about the stories that could be given to the more minor characters. In my head I formed different endings for all these characters and even the most minor ones suddenly held so much potential. The brilliance of Paige's storytelling is her ability to make the reader see more than just the main character.

So, the big question: would I recommend it? Of course I would! It didn't quite knock Pictures of Lily off the top spot but it came pretty damn close!

Eilidh

and....breathe.

Three years, nine terms, numerous coursework essays, fourteen exams, one dissertation and I AM DONE. 

They say that university goes by quickly and you should savour it, but it is safe to say that I did not expect it to go this fast. It feels like just yesterday when I was moving into my first year accommodation. But it wasn't yesterday, it was almost three years ago *woah*. 

Today I sat my final exam, three hours on the topography of Rome. Right now I am sitting at my desk wondering what to do with myself. I was in full day nursery from 6 months old. I don't know what it's like to be out of education. But today marks the end of that road. I am not planning on going onto do a masters any time soon so this summer will be devoted to looking for a job and hopefully come September I will have something to do. 

But right now I am going to delve into the endless pile of books I have had to ignore over the past months and I am going to catch up on some much needed sleep. I also have a couple of trips planned: Greece, Spain, Scotland and Wales. It's fair to say that I am making the most of my last summer of freedom. Who knows when I will next have such a long expanse of time to do whatever I want. 

So today I say goodbye to organised education and the wonders of student finance and say hello to the adult world of real jobs and rented flats. 

(Really I am just moving back in with my family, but you know, a girl can dream.)

Sorry for the complete absence of posts this month, dissertation and exam revision took over and somehow my blog got lost along the way. I will try and get back into the swing of it from now on. 

Eilidh 

Book Haul

Dissertation has been handed in and the dreaded final exams loom. I am very quickly nearing the end of my degree and as a result I have had very little time to devote to my blog. I did however pick up a couple of books which are ready to read as soon as my exams are over. I thought I would give you a sneak peek as many of these may be appearing in future book reviews. 

Dear Reader: Paul Fournel

Sally Heathcote Suffragette: Mary M Talbot, Kate Charlesworth, Bryan Talbot        

        

How To Be A Heroine: Samantha Ellis

        

One Small Act Of Kindness: Lucy Dillon

        

Men Explain Things to Me: Rebecca Solnit

Bad Feminist: Roxane Gay

I apologise for this somewhat lacking post. All of the above mentioned books had been sitting in my wish list for a long time and I decided that now was the right time to treat myself to them. This time in a month I will have finished my exams and I promise to get right back into the swing of blogging.

Let me know in the comments which one you think I should read first!

Eilidh