The Famous Five - Five Go Adventuring Again by Enid Blyton

The Famous Five Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timothy the dog.

 

The Five's second adventure together.

 

At Kirrin Cottage for the Christmas holidays, the Five were not expecting an adventure...But they found one - and some crocks - and became involved in a running battle underground. 

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I was recently disheartened to find that the Famous Five books were slowly being altered to make them more politically correct. I find this wrong in so many ways. Books often reflect the time in which they were written and this includes both the good and bad elements. Altering a book whether fictional or not shouldn't be done, how are we to reflect and consider the differences in time periods if all of our literature has been changed. 

 

Even though it is a work of fiction I strongly feel that it should be left as it was originally intended, giving the reader the opportunity to reflect upon its contents. I was lucky enough to find an almost complete set of Famous Five books from 1978 which is where this edition has come from.  The narrative is complete and I plan to keep this set for my own children/niece and nephew to read one day. I actually remember the Famous Five television series from which the photo cover is taken from (it was the first VHS video my family owned lol). I also love the fact it states the original UK price as 50p!

 

 This book was very fun to read. I enjoyed it and found it has aged very little. Yes the language used by the children is no longer the normal kind used by today's youth but I don't see that as a bad thing. The language is much more adult in its sentence structure and the words used. In this way it would be a refreshing change and possibly a challenge for children to read. However this is not a negative, it is most definitely a positive. The story is simple to follow and exciting in parts. I enjoyed the fact it was based during the Christmas holidays which is why I decided to read in the week leading up to Christmas. 

 

It is the perfect book for escapism. As a child I didn't read every Famous Five book but I remember loving the ones I was lucky enough to get hold off. They make you want to run about the countryside and have adventures of your own. The best part of the book is the overall friendship and support of the children who never fail to believe each other and always strive to protect their group. Its a quick fun read and I recommend it to everyone, whether a child wanting a bit of adventure or an adult (like myself) going back and reading the classics I missed as a child. 

 

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

I really enjoyed this story. It was exciting, fun and transported me back to a simpler time. The difference in language and writing style was also refreshing and entertaining in itself when comparing it to modern language.

 

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

A Cross family member is murdered, and the case catapults Alex into a world where power masks unfathomable evil. 

You can't run.

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the devastating news that his niece, Caroline, has been found brutally murdered. Cross vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that Caroline was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim. 

You can't hide.

The hunt for her murder leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in the levels of society where only one thing is certain - they will do anything to keep their secrets safe. 

Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive.

As Cross closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable - a revelation that could rock the entire world. 

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This is the first book by James Patterson that I have read and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have seen movies based on some of his books such as Along Came a Spider which Is the first in the Alex Cross series. However I had never taken he plunge and read the books. I picked up this book during the past week simply because Mr P had bought a hardback copy for himself from a charity shop at the bargain price of 99p! Lets just say he still hasn't even looked inside because I have been busy flicking through it myself haha!

The story was very fast paced and this was aided by the author using very short chapters. In some cases they where simply two sides long. The mystery itself seemed a very basic story at the beginning, girl is murdered and detective needs to find her killer. But then sprinkle on the fact that the girl in question is the detectives niece and add a bit of money, powerful connections and a cover up and the story begins to spin in a vast number of direction. I loved that!

The voice of the story is mainly Detective Alex Cross, but as the story progresses other characters do speak which adds a bit of depth and clarity to the story. The main one of these characters comes in a bit later on and I was never a fan of him, but did almost pity him towards the end of the book. The way the author allows us to hear these characters thoughts shows them as real people. With Cross especially we are able to see his vulnerable side as well as his cop persona. It really adds something special to the narrative which keeps you turning the page at break neck speed. 

Now I'm not very good at figuring out who did things when watching crime movies or television shows. Nine times out of ten I am sat there thinking the killer couldn't possibly have done x,y or z because they are portrayed as x,y and z.  I am also very bad at the game Cluedo and never win. Ever! But I do enjoy crime fiction and this book is one of the best I've read. I am definitely planning to read the other books in the series. In fact this book has already hinted on the next case/book during its final chapter. This has wet my appetite and I look forward to curling up with another James Patterson book in the very near future. 

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The story was exciting, heartbreaking and intriguing. I really enjoyed the journey it took me on and how I was kept guessing until the very end. It has left me eager for more and excited to read the rest of the series.

 

True Grit by Charles Portis

On a trip to buy ponies, Frank Ross is shot dead by Tom Chaney, one of his own workers, for a horse, $150 cash, and two Californian gold pieces. When Ross's unusually single-minded fourteen-year-old daughter Mattie arrives to claim his body, she discovers that the authorities are doing nothing to find Chaney. Then she hears of Rooster - a man, she's told, who has grit - and convinces him to join her in a quest into the dark, dangerous Indian territory to hunt Chaney down and avenge her father's murder...

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My goodness this book was such an exciting read. I really enjoyed it and read it cover to cover in less than twenty-four hours. The story follows fourteen-year-old Mattie as she attempts to extract revenge for her fathers murder. It is made clear from the first chapter that she is no ordinary teenager. This girl has courage and is not intimidated by men or any obstacle that may stand in her way. 

The book also has two strong male characters, but it really is Mattie that keeps you reading. I did like Rooster, he comes across as gruff and cross but I think deep down he was a nice guy. I'm really not sure if that is how everyone would feel about him, he was more likely written as a character to dislike but I didn't always feel that way. 

The one thing I really found annoying about this book was the chapter lengths. I am a reader who likes to stop reading  at the end of chapters and not for example at the top of a page within a chapter. However the some of the chapters really went on for what felt like forever. For example, one chapter went from page 108 to page 168! Now that is simply down to personal taste but I really gained nothing but annoyance from this. 

The pace was nicely set and I was on the edge of my seat in many parts. It isn't overly gruesome or graphic although it does have some deaths. I am not a fan off great detail when it comes to death so liked the way that was dealt with. Overall the story was gripping and I really was hooked to the very last page.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved the story and found it a thrilling read. However the chapter length was disappointing at times which did cause some annoyance.

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

Up in the attic, four secrets are hidden. Four blonde, beautiful, innocent little secrets, struggling to stay alive...

Chris, Cathy, Cory and Carrie have perfect lives - until a tragic accident changes everything. Now they must wait, hidden from view in their grandparents' attic, as their mother tries to figure out what to do next. But as days turn into weeks and weeks into months, the siblings endure unspeakable horrors and face the terrifying realization that they might not be let out of the attic after all. 

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This book moved me to tears, it was so very heartbreaking. Its a book that I have planned to read for many years but never got around to it. I am pleased I finally found the time to do so but what a roller coaster of emotion it sent me on!

The book is well written in the sense that the story and plot move along quickly. I enjoyed the fact that even though the book is just over 400 pages it still felt short. It was really more like what I would consider a quick read and I didn't feel like I'd read more than 200 pages. 

The storyline was gripping and I couldn't understand the motives of the mother in the book. Oh, I grasped that she wanted to gain her inheritance and I do believe that in the beginning she had the best of intentions but as the story progressed I just wanted to shake her.  

The characters of Chris and Cathy had some many levels, I really enjoyed watching them mature. At points I cried because of how the situation was changing them and the lack of control they had over their lives. I wanted more than anything to protect, hold and shield them from the lives and fears thrust upon them. 

It was truly heartbreaking at points and it was obviously the position they were placed in by the adults that was effecting the present. The grandmother was very misguided when believing the past of her daughter would reflect on the future through the 'evil'  children she bore, she was blind to her own hand in the situation.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars 

It was a good book and I really enjoyed reading it. I was completely transported into the story. 

Fragment Friday

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

'That's because I am stupid! You, Christopher, have all the brains!' With that I burst into tears and fled from the attic, racing past all the paper flora and fauna. Run, run, run for the stairs. Fly fly, fly down the steep and narrow wooden steps, daring fate to make you fall. Break a leg, a neck, put you in a coffin dead. Make everyone sorry then; make them cry for the dancer I should have been.

 I threw myself down on my bed and sobbed into the pillow. There was nothing here but dreams, hopes - nothing real. I'd grow old, ugly, never see lots of people again. That old man downstairs could live to be a hundred and ten! All those doctors would keep him living for ever - and I would miss out on Halloween - no tricking, no treating, no parties, no candy. Oh, I felt sorry for myself, and I vowed somebody was going to pay, pay, pay for all of this, somebody was, somebody was!

Wearing their dirty white sneakers, they came to me, my two brothers and my small sister, and each sought to give me comfort with small gifts of cherished possessions: Carrie's read and purple crayons, Cory's Peter Rabbit story book; but Chris, he sat and looked at me. I never felt so small.

Fragment Friday

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

'It was the short man who was holding me. He forced a gag into my mouth , and then bound me with rope hand and foot. The other man was standing over my husband. He had caught up my little dagger paper-knife from the dressing table and was holding it with the point just over his heart. When the short man had finished with me, he joined the other, and they forced my husband to get up and accompany them into the dressing-room next door. I was nearly fainting with terror, nevertheless I listened desperately. 

'They were speaking in too low a tone for me to hear what they said. But I recognized the language, a bastard Spanish such as is spoken in some parts of South America. They seemed to be demanding something from my husband, and presently they grew angry, and their voices rose a little. I think the tall man was speaking. "You know what we want?" I do not know what my husband answered, but the other replied fiercely. "You lie! We know you have it. Where are your keys?"

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR

Winning will make you famous. 

Losing means certain death.

In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. 

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

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Wow is all I can say about this book. It is both deeply disturbing and amazingly addictive at the same time. I sat up finishing it until 5.30am. It was simply to good to put down. It was a combination of fantastic characters, imaginative writing and a wonderfully fast pace which made the book such fun to read. 

The characters were really well written, I really liked Katniss and Peeta. I was behind them both 100% Every time the cannon sounded my heart all but stopped and I was compelled to read on as quickly as possible to find out who had fallen. I enjoyed the fact that Katniss was a very strong female character, she didn't need or depend on the boys for food, warmth or protection. The fact she was also able to remain kind and sensitive to the feelings of others such as Rue also made her more endearing.

I'll admit in parts it was disturbing but I was aware of that from the beginning. Any book that involves children having o fight for survival and murder each other is obviously going to be hard to read. It is one of the reasons I avoided the book for so long. However I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was dealt with. The author doesn't glorify the killings and in most situations you don't even see the deaths. Instead they are announced by a simple projection into the sky of a photograph of the victim taken before the event began.  It was done tastefully and with the age of the audience in mind. However some people may still find this to much, my partner for one still doesn't like it or what the book portrays so it is honestly down to personal choice. 

Overall I loved the book. It was addictive from start to finish and left me eager for the next installment. In this case I can honestly as that it deserves the hype it has been getting and I'm terribly pleased I decided to give it a go.  

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

It was a thrilling, exciting and thoroughly entertaining book. I plan to keep it and read it again in future.

Fragment Friday

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The woods became our saviour, and each day I went a bit further into its arms. It was slow going at first, but I was determined to feed us. I stole eggs from nests, caught fish in nets, sometimes managed to shoot a squirrel or rabbit for stew, and gathered the various plants that sprung up beneath my feet. Plants are tricky. Many are edible, but one false mouthful and you're dead. I checked and double-checked the plants I harvested with my fathers pictures. I kept us alive.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

 

 

As the new tenants of Wildfell Hall, beautiful, reclusive Helen Graham and her young son find themselves the objects of gossips and scandal.

 

Gilbert Markham has formed a deep attachment to Helen. He does everything in his power to staunch the rumours that she is an immoral woman with a past she needs to conceal; but he himself does not know the truth.

 

Gradually coming to trust Gilbert, Helen reveals her past life to him: a miserable marriage in which she was tormented by her adulterous, drunken husband, Huntingdon, who mocked her religion and tried to corrupt their child. But despite her bid for independence, Helen is still in Huntingdon's power, and only death can end her terror.

 

A novel of surprising modernity, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall shocked Anne Bronte's Contemporaries in its outspoken treatment of the issue of women's equality and it is unforgettable for its passionate sincerity and psychological honesty.

 

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This book was wonderfully written. I found myself lost within the language and transported to a different era. The characters pulled at my heartstrings and I felt their pain, sorrow, happiness, disgust and relief as the story unfolded. Do not be put off by the labelling of this book as a classic, it is still easy to read and understand, and the language used is not difficult to adapt too.

 

I read it over a few days and found the story captivating. I loved Gilbert and felt his pain and worry throughout. I positively despised Huntingdon on many occasion while at others I felt sorry for him and wished things could be different in much the same way that Helen did. The characters really make this story come alive due to their depth and the painstaking detail that has gone into them.

 

I can't recommend this book enough. I loved it. I laughed, cried and sulked over certain parts and really enjoyed the entire thing. The first 200 pages went by in a heartbeat and the fast pace continued until the very last page. However I never felt that my reading was hurried, in fact it was the opposite, I felt as if I entered into the 1800s and everything was at a relaxing pace. It's the perfect book for cold winter evenings with a hot drink and a blanket.

 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

It was breathtaking and I will no doubt read this book again.

Fragment Friday

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

And indeed, I know not whether, at the time, it was for him rather than myself that I blushed? for, since he and I are one, I so identify myself with him, that I feel his degradation, his failings, and transgressions, as my own; I blush for him, I fear for him; I repent for him, weep, pray, and feel for him as for myself; but I cannot act for him; and hence, I must be and I am, debased, contaminated by the union, both in my own eyes, and in the actual truth. I am so determined to love him-so intensely anxious to excuse his errors, that I am continually dwelling upon them, and labouring to extenuate the loosest of his principles, and the worst of his practises, till I am familiarised with vice, and almost a partaker in his sins. Things that formerly shocked and disgusted me, now seem only natural. I know them to be wrong, because reason and God's word declare them to be so; but I am gradually losing that instinctive horror and repulsion which were given me by nature, or instilled into me by the precepts and example of my aunt. Perhaps, then, I was to severe in my judgements, for I abhorred the sinner as well as the sin; now, I flatter myself I am more charitable and considerate; but am I not becoming more indifferent and insensate too? Fool that I was, to dream that I had strength and purity enough to save myself and him! Such vain presumption would be rightly served, if I should perish with him in the gulf from which I sought to save him!

The DUFF - Designated, Ugly, Fat, Friend. by Kody Keplinger

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper knows she's not the hottest girl at school, but when school jock and resident moron Wesley casually refers to her as a Duff - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - the gloves are off!

If there's a thin line between love and hate then Bianca has crossed it. She just never thought she was capable of breaking anyone's heart...

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I loved this book and read it one sitting. I was hooked from the first few pages which I can only put down to the absolutely amazing main character Bianca. Wow how wonderfully written she was, I loved her sassy, cheeky, angry, sarcastic and yet obviously vulnerable personality. Bianca was a pleasure to get to know, her little OCD type quirks, and the relationship she with her friends only made her more believable.

I could really understand her situation and how she felt about the world. Keplinger really tuned into the world of the comprehensive / high school years. It is a time in ones life when everything you do, say and how you look is on display and judged. Yes this happens in the 'real' world but during the school years it is amplified. Everyone is growing up and learning their limits therefore things can get vicious at times when the lines are crossed.

This book was a fabulous read. I can't say to much because I really don't want to give anything away. It is simply to great to risk even the slightest hint of the story escaping my lips. However I will say it is perfect for people in high school and beyond, it can really open your eyes to what and who are Duffs.  I loved it and will be keeping an eye on Keplingers future releases with excitement.

                                           I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
                     It was wonderful. I loved it and wish it could have lasted longer.

Some Sunny Day - My Autobiography by Dame Vera Lynn

 

 

Born Vera Welch in 1917, Dame Vera Lynn's career began at just seven years old when she sang professionally in East End Working Men's Clubs. A successful radio career with Joe Loss and Charlie Kunz in the 1920s and '30s followed - but it was with World War II that she became famous.

With her radio show 'Sincerlty Yours', Vera connected emotionally with the men fighting for their country and those left behind praying for their loved ones, and became known as 'The forces Sweetheart'. Performing the songs she will forever be associated with - 'We'll Meet Again' and 'The White Cliffs of Dover' among others - Vera toured Egypt, India and Burma with the Entertainment National Services Association, bringing troops a sense of 'back home'. But what she saw out there affected her profoundly.

Her career after the war flourished, but Vera never left behind her wartime role. Still heavily involved with veteran and other charities, this is Dame Vera's extraordinary story of her life and her war - from bombs and rations to broadcasts and air raids, and the searing heat of her appearances abroad.

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I have heard the wartime songs of Dame Vera Lynn my entire life, both in the original versions and remakes by more recent artists. However I have never known the story behind the music and the lady who sang them so wonderfully. This book covers Lynn's entire life from her birth through to present day (yes she is actually alive and in her 90's!). However the majority of the book is centred around the war years. I find the Second World War a fascinating subject in any case so I really enjoyed reading about the daily struggles and restrictions that affected the country on a personal level.

Lynn paints a fantastic picture of a time when life was much simpler and the pace of life slower. While explaining the hardships of war she successfully shows how life continued on in much the same way as before. People went to work, enjoyed evening entertainment and children went to school as best they could. I have to say I enjoyed the war years element the most.

I did become a bit bored towards the end of the book which focused on the post war years. It became more of a book about her privileged life and having the ability to buy a twenty-four bedroom house (which turned out to be a much loved but expensive mistake) than a book about a 'real' person. The small details such as the fact she would make her daughters clothes in her dressing room, during breaks between performance's, were what kept me reading. I felt I really gained a glimpse of the real person that I read about in the war years and not the just the image of a music star.

The book also gives a fascinating look into the works of the BBC before, during and after the war. It really portrayed the BBC as having the ability to make or break careers at the drop of a hat, and at times it appeared to have a little to much power and the wish to control society. I found some parts humorous such as the fact that in the 40's television was so expensive that only the rich could afford to view it, so much so that one of the cookery programmes of the day was called 'Cooks Night Off'.

Overall it was a fabulous book to read, I really escaped into the world of music halls, concerts and recording studios. Lynn's voice is strong throughout and you really feel she is talking to a close friend and this really helps make a strong connection with the reader. As I mentioned above I have only heard the wartime songs and so knew nothing of the period or the people, managers or stars she was surrounded by at the time. It didn't matter at all, I was able to easily follow the book and Lynn made me feel like I knew the people she was working with even if I didn't recognise their names personally.

I recommend this books to anyone who has an interest in the Second World War, especially on the home front although it does cover the front line further in. It is also a good read for anyone who likes a good biography about someone who has lived an extraordinary life and achieved remarkable things.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I really enjoyed it and found it a very interesting and thought provoking book.

The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas

When Ariel Manto uncovers a copy of The end of Mr. Y in a second-hand bookshop, she can't believe her eyes. She knows enough about its author, the eccentric Victorian scientist Thomas Lumas, to know that copies are exceedingly rare. And, some say, cursed. With Mr. Y under her arm Ariel finds herself swept into a thrilling adventure of love, sex, death and time-travel.

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I had seen this book around more than once and although it intrigued me I never felt the need to take the plunge. Last week while bargain hunting I came across it again in a second-hand book shop. Quite funny really when I consider that is how the whole basis of this novel begins. Anyway I decided to give it a go, not really knowing what to expect.

It has been a really great read. It seems like a straight forward story by the blurb but once you get inside the cover you soon find out that it is anything but that. I was really taken aback by the amount of science, philosophy and religion in the book. I have learnt so much about a wide range of scientific principles, religious beliefs and concepts that I had never previously given much thought. I won't lie at times it was a hard slog, I know very little about the areas of study mentioned above so certain parts of the book did go over my head but overall I understood and digested allot of information which did surprise me.

The story itself is weaves between a fiction and non-fiction book. It smoothly moves from being lead by the characters and the storyline to the discussions of scientific discoveries and philosophy. However, it is done in such a way that the elements of fiction still remain in focus and as the characters begin to discuss these the reader learns through their analysis of the subjects at hand. I found both elements of the book thrilling to read although it has taken me a week  to read which for me is a long time.  Although it was definitely worth it. Just make sure you're fully awake when you read it, a few times I attempted to read while tired and simply got myself in a muddle.

The main character Ariel was very easy to connect to, she had a vulnerability that I'm  sure we can all recollect and understand from an experience at some point in our lives. I found it very refreshing that she wasn't portrayed to have it all or have all the answers, despite the fact that she was a very well educated young lady. Ariel makes mistakes throughout the book as we all do and I think that is something that most readers can identify with. Even as we grown older we all make mistakes, it is after all part of being human.

I highly recommend this book. It is intelligently written, very interesting and the pace is good. The author successfully writes of a world that is both believable and mind boggling at the same time. At times the scientific elements of the book do become a little overpowering however overall it has a nice balance. Due to some parts being of a sexual nature this is definitely a book only suitable for adults.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed it and it is certainly worth a read.