Best Books of 2017

Here are my ‘Super Seven’ reads of the year:

Best Suspense/Thriller

The Fire Child- S.K. Tremayne

Best Gothic Fiction

Ever This Day- Helen Moorhouse

Best Crime Fiction

A High Mortality of Doves- Kate Ellis

Best Feel-Good Book

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine- Gail Honeyman

Best Reincarnation Fiction

Dreadful Sorry- Kathryn Reiss

Best Historical Fiction

Harappa: Curse of the Blood River- Vineet Bajpai

Best Non-Fiction

Walking Towards Ourselves- Catriona Mitchell

Lost in a Book

Girl Reading (1889), by Fritz von Uhde

Oil paint on canvas

Image Source: Wikipedia

Favorite Five (Book to Movie Adaptations)

It is always a pleasure to see a world come alive with characters jumping out of a book onto a screen. So, I thought sharing my favorite five book-to-movie adaptations would make a perfect post for this month. Without further ado, here they are:

1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC)

Jane Austen's well-loved novel about the prejudice that sprouts between the main characters and the pride they have to overcome to be together.

Stars: Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Susannah Harker and more

2. Sense and Sensibility

Another impressive adaptation of  Jane Austen's novel about the lives of two sisters, unalike in every way, and their journey to finding true love.

Stars: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, James Fleet and more

3. Harry Potter

Hard to believe the boy-wizard is 20 this year! A coming-of-age story wonderfully told, Harry Potter and his friends at  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry can provide endless hours of entertainment to everyone.

Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris and more

4. Dangerous Liaisons

Based on an epistolary novel of the same name, this movie centers around an older woman who along with her wicked ex-lover schemes to corrupt a young woman.

Stars: Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and more

5. It

Last but not the least comes the tale of seven friends who band together to fight an ancient evil. Puts one off clowns forever! I think 'It' is the scariest of all Stephen King's books. 

Stars: Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O'Toole  and more

Image and Info Source: http://www.imdb.com

Wise Words

I love reading epistolary fiction. Because I read so much of it, I thought it was high time I shared favorite quotes from my best-loved epistolary novels.

Amazing Authors- Jean Webster

What Am I Reading Most?

Earlier this year, I had posted my reading wish-list here and here. So, I thought it would be interesting to analyse the books on the list and discover what I would be reading most of, from my favorite genres.

Here is what my reading palette looks like:

Books that Beckon (Contd.)

In my previous post I had listed the most awaited novels for the first quarter of 2017. Here are more books that beckon me, scheduled for release in the second quarter:

No less fascinating is a cover collage created from the covers of these most anticipated delicious releases:

Two novels have yet to publish their jackets and I can't wait to judge them by their cover!

Books that Beckon

Recently, I had posted on my favorite novels of 2016. So, I thought the next best thing would to anticipate what could be the fodder for a similar post to be made at the end of this year. Which brings me to my reading list for 2017.

Since I ended up with quite a few novels that I can't wait to read (no less that 18!) and all due for release in the first half of the year itself, I have decided to split this post into two parts. The first part will list most awaited fiction for the first quarter of the year and the next one will do the same for the second quarter. Also, the books have been listed based on the quarter in which they are scheduled for release.

As always, the novels that called out to me fall into my most-read genres. 

And, here's what a reading mosaic created out of the covers of these novels would look like:

Vivid, vibrant, colorful, and oh so enchanting! Hope the stories turn out to be so as well.

The Song of Souls

Our thoughts pull experiences, people, and even things into our lives. Or so say some. It seems only fitting then to have serendipitously stumbled on ‘The Memory Painter’ which explores my favourite themes of reincarnation, soulmates, and karmic entanglements.

I started this year with reading Gwedonlyn Womack’s stellar debut that spans centuries and continents to tell a tale of lovers who are destined to meet in every life only to separate. Within minutes I was completely engrossed in the story of Linz and Bryan. Linz is a neurogeneticist researching how the brain makes memories and Bryan is an artist with an unusual gift. Bryan’s painting are unique in that he paints memories of his past lives. Linz has been plagued by a nightmare ever since she was a little girl, a terrifying vision in which she sees a young woman being burned alive at the stake. When Linz and Bryan meet, it is a union (or rather a reunion) arranged by fate. They look into each other’s eyes and nothing is the same ever again. 

The novel progress through incidents that throw light on the previous lives of the central characters. A pattern of complex relationships that govern a group of souls emerges, slowly but surely. There is passion, betrayal, deceit, hatred, and murder!  Additionally, a sinister backdrop is provided by a group of scientists who discover a drug than can enable a remembrance of past lives only to die in an explosion before anything is revealed. How are these scientists connected to Bryan and Linz? What happened on the fateful day when they died?

In all their previous incarnations (a tad bit too many in this story) Bryan and Linz have remained true to each other. And in each life they have lost to a malevolent someone who stalks them across lifetimes, unrelenting in his animosity. They have been blessed with loyal supporters but their lives have always ended in tragedy. Will this life be any different? Can they break free from the pattern of the past?

The Memory Painter has an intricate and satisfying plot. It would have been easy to lose the reader in the maze of many lifetimes but Gwendolyn holds the tale together by expertly weaving all the lives into an understandable interconnected bigger whole. As the characters traverse a tumultuous course across lifetimes, their journey leaves us with some interesting realisations to ponder upon.

Just like Bryan, I found myself wondering if we are doomed to forever repeat our mistakes. How do we learn what went wrong? How do we stop?

“I am beginning to see a pattern and I find myself wondering if the laws of karma exist. Are souls destined to love or hate the same souls again and again? Or can we achieve some sort of resolution and enlightenment? If a tragedy is destined to be repeated, we need to figure out how to break the cycle.” 

While I have always felt a yearning to remember who I was in an earlier life, maybe some things are best left alone.

“In hindsight, I’ve realized that our minds shield us from memories that are meant to stay buried.”

And, if karma is truly a law of cause and effect then every person we meet is connected to us in some way though we may not understand the link between our lives.

“We found each other again for a reason. We remembered for a reason. The journey didn’t start with us or even with Michael and Diana. We’re locked in a cycle. We need to see beyond it.”

In lyrical but accessible language, the novel offers a bitter-sweet consolation to those who have ever lost a loved one.

“Our fates are intertwined. I will find you again and again until we build a bridge back to this life. Nothing is ever lost.”

While ‘The Memory Painter’ does invite some deep thoughts, it is not overly philosophical at any time. In fact, for those who like their thrills, there are quite a few unexpected twists and OMG moments to keep you glued to the pages till you arrive at the much awaited conclusion. 

My opinion: go get it! You can't go wrong with this one.

P.S.- On a lighter note, in my previous post I had promised myself I would roam the world through my reading. The Memory Painter took me to no less than 6 continents! 

My Reading Vows

Wordprints on My Heart

I thought I would begin this year by acknowledging the authors (and their novels) who left an indelible impression on my heart with the stories they told. Thanks to these exceptional wordsmiths, my reading journey in 2016 turned out to be exciting, memorable, and happy.

Over the years, I have noticed that most of the novels I read invariably end up getting placed in the following genres:

• Suspense/Thriller
• Gothic Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Fantasy

Not surprisingly, my favorite novels of 2016 also come from these genres. While I did like many others, I have deliberately chosen only one novel as the pinnacle of that genre. After all, it is a battle of the best. And, the way I look at things that can have only one winner.

So, here's to some wonderful writing!

Should you wish to know more about these fabulous novels, click the links below which take you to my reviews or reviews written by a friend who certainly knows her books or the goodreads page (time-crunch may have led to skipping a review but that does not in any way lessen my liking for these books):

The Ice Twins- S. K. Tremayne
Lost Among the Living- Simone St. James
A Curious Beginning- Deanna Raybourn
The Near Witch- Victoria Schwab

Happy Reading!

Absolutely Novelicious!

Strong & Sassy She

The damsel in distress may have been in fashion in the Arthurian lore we heard as bedtime stories but when I think of the times we grew up in, she was a figure to be laughed over and at best pitied if we were in a kinder mood. I don’t remember dreaming of a brave knight in shining armor on a white horse riding out to rescue me if I found myself in trouble. Ever. When it came to the dreaming we did, my friends and I, we rode the horse and we did the rescuing. While we did love folklore for its magic and mystery, the strange spells and curses, we were not like the weepy wimps in those tales, oh no, we were the brave ones. We were the warriors. And because that’s how we thought, we have a fondness for authors who can translate the way we see women into great stories. Mary Stewart is one such author.

The female lead (FL) in Stewart’s novels is fiery, passionate, and always game for adventure. She is courageous and has her head firmly on her shoulders. More often than not, when she jumps from the frying pan into the fire she does so with a fire extinguisher in hand.  Is it surprising then that I grew up on a staple diet of her novels?

For the past few weeks, I have been re-reading my Mary Stewart collection and I felt I really had to share my favorite Stewart heroines. So, here they are. We start with Nicola Ferris from The Moonspinners who takes the number one spot. She can enchant you with tales of naiads or water nymphs (these magical creatures spin the moon down out of the sky so we get enough hours of darkness and then wash their spindles in the sea where the moonlight unravels into long ripples and wounds back into the moon). She can dress your wounds, protect you from sharpshooters, and stay in the fight so you are not left alone with the villains of the piece.

Next, comes Linda Martin from Nine Coaches Waiting who can make delicious dark chocolate for you and whisk you out in the middle of your night if your life is in danger. She can keep you safe in a forest, plan an escape so well it outwits all the chasers, and protect you from your murderous family. All this with little or no rest till she delivers you to safety.

Last, we have Lucy Waring from This Rough Magic who has a special bond with animals, can communicate with dolphins and even step in front of bullets to save them. She spouts Shakespeare, knows the finer nuances of his plays, and can hold her own in any discussion on the origins of The Tempest. More importantly, she can think on her feet and find her way home from the middle of nowhere. This too, at that crucial moment when the police, the villains and the entire cast are all in one room so no time is lost in putting the villain behind bars. Know anyone who can beat this?

Each is so different and yet so very similar. Each has a heart that is brave, a head that is wise, and an indomitable spirit. Each is a strong, sassy she. 

Amazing Authors- Lucy Maud Montgomery

Ghastly Grandeur, Ghostly Games

Neil Gaiman has rightly said that 'Once upon a time' lives forever. There is something about fairy tales that stays with us long after childhood is over. I am always game for a fairy tale retelling and this year fuelled by a fellow book lover's  fantasy fiction fixation, I have been reading more of them than I would have otherwise. When I heard of a Bluebeard retelling set in pre-Civil war Mississippi, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Unlike the Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast spin-offs which are splattered all over the publishing horizon, Goodreads has less than 20 books listed under Bluebeard retellings. Add to this, a morbid fascination for the creepiest wife-slayer of all times and I was sold on reading Jane Nickerson’s debut novel.

Image Source- Wikipedia

Once upon a time there was a dirty old man who had a fetish for red-headed girls. He kept marrying them and getting angry at them cos’ they wouldn’t be his pet zombies. Then one day, the wheels of justice turned. A whip of a girl with strands of bronze and gold, aided by ‘Sisters’, managed to drive him to his deserving fate. As he lay, shocked and wounded, his only thought was he should have left this one alone!

The plot of Strands of Bronze and Gold revolves around seventeen year old Sophie Petheram who loses her father and immediately gains an invitation from her Godfather Bernard Cressac to visit the magnificent Wyndriven Abbey. Behind the grandeur of Cressac's home, though, lurk dark secrets that threaten Sophie’s safety and maybe even her life. Will Sophie be able to look beyond the ornate decorations, the lavish furnishings, and the luxurious living at the danger that resides in the abbey? Will she able to rise above the influence of the much older and debonair Bernard? What secrets are buried in the desecrated chapel? What happened to all the previous wives of Cressac? Can Sophie unlock forbidden doors and dare to step inside to bring the truth to light?

Beautifully written, the story of Sophie’s stay at the ancient abbey enchanted me with its evocative descriptions of place, geography, and atmosphere. Having read the fairy tale of Bluebeard as a child, it was not suspense that kept me glued to the book but the language. The sentences sinuously glided into my imagination and easily conjured up the vivid characters, elusive phantoms, and historical setting. The writing style is perfectly suited to gothic tales with supernatural overtones and derives its strength from a lush but accessible prose. Having said that, the incredibly slow pace of the book does dispel the magic of the writing, to an extent, as the frustration of nothing much happening in more than half the book gnaws at the pleasure of losing yourself in the language.

Wyndriven Abbey is as much a character as the humans who inhabit it. Transplanted, stone by stone, from England to Mississippi, it is a 300 year old abbey with history breathing through its very walls.

“The magnificence of the building whooshed at me like a blast of icy wind. Wyndriven Abbey loomed in the center of spreading lawns and gardens and terraces as though it had stood in that spot for centuries. It was toothed with crenellations and spiky with pinnacles and spires and turrets, the setting sun rosily staining the stone and lighting fires in a myriad of mullioned windows.”

I longed to tour the abbey and discover the obscure fate of its former residents.

Sophie is quite a silly girl for most of the book but does redeem herself later with the courage, resolve, and fortitude she shows when she sets out to seek justice for Cressac’s wives. 

I see-sawed between feeling extreme annoyance at her dense ostrich-with-head-in-the-sand behaviour and forgiving her for her youth. I had to keep reminding myself she was a sheltered, wildly imaginative, spoilt seventeen year old and not yet an adult. Kudos to the author, however, for bringing a fresh, funny, and frank voice to life so successfully, the impact of which is much greater due to the first person narrative.

“In my imaginary meeting with M. de Cressac, I had worn a gown of emerald green silk with jet beads embroidered in the skirt that clicked as I walked. I could hear it. I could feel it- the weight of the beads. I looked down. Surprise! Still ugly black bombazine. Never had I imagined I would meet my guardian swathed in a fabric so dark and dull it swallowed the light of every room.”

“In spite of my long-held belief that I was destined for luxury, it was still hard to change the habits of a lifetime.”

Her curiosity is a welcome trait as we know early on that her survival lies in not just finding out the truth but also escaping in time to avoid a miserable future.

“I wished she hadn’t stopped. I loved knowing things.”

I found her impromptu 'imagining herself in love' with Cressac and making ready excuses for his much objectionable behavior quite irritating especially when she wears foreign outfits 'sparse of material' for him and also engages in talk of underdrawers justifying the conversation as one of worldly sophistication. Why would you want to accept lewd talk from a man old enough to be your father?! I wanted to shake her into realising she was making a fool of herself in her infatuation with Cressac and found myself completely agreeing with him when he berates her, towards the end, for her blinkered vision.

“You are a naïve little goose, you know. At first it was refreshing, but after a time it wearies.”

It’s not that odd things weren’t happening from the time she stepped into the abbey, it’s just that she stubbornly refused to see them!

 “Hints of this had nagged me through the months, but I had squelched them before they ever came to surface. How could any normal mind comprehend such evil?”

When I had finally given up on her, she rose like a phoenix from the ashes and won my respect for deciding to expose Cressac’s reality.

“If I were called upon to be a brave person, I would be a brave person.”

Bluebeard. Image Source- Wikipedia.

Bernard Cressac, unlike Sophie, has no redeeming qualities that could make me feel sorry for him at any point of time. You would think a person for whom marital co-existence (note that I stay away from using the word bliss here, it would be too far-fetched a state for someone like him) has always been an elusive state (married 4 times!), he would leave well alone and resign to a solitary life. But no, none of that stops him from looking for a yet another fifth wife! That he does so in his teenage ward, though, was enough to make me taste bile. His treatment of his former wives, and slaves on his plantation raised ickiness to a new level. Disgusting vile reptile. I was hoping for and anticipating a nasty end for him with inhuman relish. It was poetic justice that Sophie, whom he felt he was fated to be with, lead him to what he deserved.

‘Bernard liked to say that fate had brought us together, that I was “meant” to come to him. Perhaps, to this end, I was.’

Gordon Stone, a vicar, whom Sophie meets while walking in the woods surrounding Wyndriven Abbey and promptly falls in love with, is a largely absent character and I could not help but wish he had played a stronger role in helping Sophie escape Bernard’s clutches.

“How could I have not known what was going on? How could I have left you to fight alone?”

Exactly, Gordon! I needn’t say more.

Sophie’s family also left me wanting. As adult elder siblings they should have been able to protect her better, and not banked on her impending marriage to bail them out of their financial troubles. Sophie agreed to marry Cressac only to save her family from financial ruin and it wasn’t surprising to see her succumb to an emotional burden of this magnitude.

The story exposes, at a surface level, the harsh and cruel treatment meted out to slaves by plantation owners, their risky attempts to escape via the Underground Railroad, and the support accorded to them by those more feeling of their tormented existence. 

Recommended to all those who like mansion-dominated, gothic-flavored fantasy fiction, Strands of Bronze and Gold is a welcome addition to dark fairy tale retellings.

Tome Travel

Something's Brewing

Are there places where the past co-exists with the present, where you get the feeling that if you just peered hard enough you would be able to see through the curtain of time?

Glastonbury, in the Somerset county of England, is one such place. Known also as the Isle of Avalon, it is reputed to be the burial place of the mythical King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere. Legends swirl in the air about the ruined Glastonbury Abbey, supposedly founded by none other than Joseph of Arimathea, and destroyed by a great fire in the 1100s. It is also home to that most mysterious of mounds, the Glastonbury Tor. Geological or man-made, just a hill or a gateway to the Underworld? Debates and discussion continue among the believers and the skeptics. Why would anyone not want to read a novel set in such a place?! A place shrouded in ancient magic and purported to be a portal to other worlds.

Glastonbury Abbey (Image Source: Wikipedia)

Not always, though often enough, am drawn to read certain novels purely because of their setting. The place makes all the difference. And, if perchance a gifted author has written a book in a desired setting then surely that is a dream come true for most bibliophiles. Recently, I came across a book set in Glastonbury which is the seventh in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series. While I cannot claim to have read the series, I can most definitely say if the books are anything like ‘A Finer End’ then this crime-fiction series deserves its popularity.

Jack Montfort, an architect, residing in his ancestral home in Glastonbury, finds himself writing messages being conveyed to him by a dead medieval monk Edward. For Jack, a practical man and not the list bit prone to being fanciful, his involvement in automatic writing is something completely out of the blue.

Although Jack, like generations of his family, had grown up in the Tor’s shadow, he’s never given any credence to all the mystical rubbish associated with it- nor to the myths that described Glastonbury as some sort of cosmic mother lode.

Glastonbury Tor (Image Source: Wikipedia)

Needless to say, this sudden bout of automatic writing worries him and spurs him to inquire about the monk’s life. Seeking help from those who may have answers leads to the formation of an informal study group with diverse participants ranging from an Anglican female priest Winnie, to Faith, an unwed pregnant young girl, a Church Scholar Simon Fitzstephen, student and part-time bookshop assistant Nick Carlisle, and Garnet Todd, one of the followers of the Old Gods. The participants in the group come together to try and decipher Edward’s messages which are increasingly becoming urgent and hint at dangerous days to come. What terrible things happened in the Abbey all those years ago? What is it that Edward wants found? Why does he connect only with Jack?

Dion, the old calico cat who ruled the rest of the brood with regal disdain, uncurled herself from the flower pot and came to rub against Garnet’s ankles. “You sense it, too, don’t you, old girl?” Garnet said softly, bending to stroke her. “Something’s brewing.”

Once, long ago, she had caught that scent in the air, once before she had felt that prickle of foreboding, and the memory of the outcome filled her with dread.

Glastonbury had always been a place of power, a pivot in the ancient battle between the light and the dark. If that delicate balance were disturbed, Garnet knew, not even the Goddess could foresee the consequences.

The Lady Chapel, Glastonbury Abbey (Image Source: Wikipedia)

Before long, things take a serious turn with an attempted murder followed by an actual murder. Jack calls his cousin Duncan, a detective with Scotland Yard, and pleads for his assistance. The call for help finds Duncan and his girlfriend Gemma spending the weekend in Glastonbury trying to unravel this complicated knot that tangles supernatural darkness with the darkness of the human heart. Why is someone killing members of the circle? Who, among these seemingly benign group of people, is performing these dark deeds?

A mysterious chant, a surprising connection between myth and practice, a lineage which goes farther back in history than Jack or Duncan could have imagined, and relentless suspense kept me so thoroughly engrossed that I only looked up from the pages of the book when I reached the end. A sumptuous and completely satisfying single-sitting read!

My enjoyment of this book was, in no small part, due to Deborah Crombie’s strong storytelling skills and her enviable talent to bring historical places to life.

The sky was a perfect robin’s-egg blue, the emerald grass sparkled with moisture from the night’s rain, and the stone walls of the Abbey ruins shone golden in the morning sun.

She has a unique way of blending the eerie with the ordinary, the past with the present, and the supernatural with normal everyday life such that not only do different elements of the story seamlessly join together to weave an interconnected whole but they do so without losing out on any of the atmosphere that such stories demand.

There was the sharpness to the air that matched the clarity of the magenta sky above the Tor, and from somewhere she could have sworn she heard the faint thread of pipes. She felt again the temporal dislocation that Glastonbury sometimes engendered, as if the centuries had eased their boundaries and bled into one another.

Not one jarring note anywhere, not one stumble when we move from a dead monk’s imploring on one hand to police procedurals on the other. You would think it wouldn’t be easy to write a narrative that unites pagan rituals, religious beliefs, and Grail myths with good old practical crime solving by the police. But Crombie does this with a flair born out of exceptional writing prowess and certainly makes it seem easy and natural; as if that’s how stories are told. Aren’t they? Well, Ms. Crombie, that’s how they should be told but not everyone writes the way you do!

Definitely recommended to those who enjoy highly atmospheric rich multi-layered mysteries embedded with interesting bits of historical events and populated with mostly likable characters who may just prove all your assumptions wrong!

The Adventure Continues.....

Katherine Woodfine’s 'The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth' embroils the fabulous foursome in their second adventure and builds a stronger relationship between the four friends who are now willing to risk their safety for each other. Like the first book in the series which I reviewed in my previous post, this too has a beautiful cover: a silver-embossed one this time! The story is sprinkled with more of the winsome illustrations that adorned the first book and peppered with quaint etiquette excerpts. 

http://katherinewoodfine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/9781405276184_LoRes3_crop.jpg

The action takes place in the East End of London where young Mei resides in China Town. She has grown up listening to her grandfather’s stories about the English rogue who stole the Moonbeam Diamond from an ancient temple in China. Her family are the guardians of the Diamond and her grandfather regrets not being able to restore the diamond to its rightful place in the temple. Meanwhile, a lot of debutantes are visiting Sinclair’s and among them is Veronica Whiteley, an heiress to nothing less than a diamond mine!  She hires Lilian and Sophie to find a stolen broach, the Jewelled Moth, gifted to her by an ardent admirer. 

Illustration from The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth by Julia Sarda

http://katherinewoodfine.co.uk/mystery-jewelled-moth/

When Mei, her brother Song, and our quartet of Lilian, Sophie, Billy, and Joe cross paths, they resolve to find the missing broach only to find the Baron behind it all. The Baron retains his anonymity all through and while the second book does bring to light some astonishing connections between him and Sophie, we are yet to discover his true identity. How is the Baron connected to Sophie? Who is he? Will we ever find out? Not till late in the series, am guessing.

Braveheart Sophie with her grace reminds me of a much-loved character Sara Crewe from ‘A Little Princess’ who dealt with difficult circumstances in a similar spirit. Lilian with her derring-do attitude is often a catalyst that plunges the friends right in the thick of action. Aspiring detective Billy with his knowledge of ciphers, code-breaking, and detection practices provides the voice of reason. Joe has had the toughest time of all and yet struggles honorably to rise above his fears and prove his commitment to his friends.  

This new series- warm, humorous, and engrossing- with two dauntless Lady Detectives at the helm ably supported by their clever and brave male companions in all they do, is truly a very pleasurable trip down memory lane! Those long summer days spent embroiled in enthralling adventures and intriguing mysteries. I so need to know who the Baron is! Can’t wait for Sophie and Lil’s next adventure which promises to be out in early 2017. 

Fabulous Friends and Frightful Foes

Every once in a while I feel a strong urge to read the kind of books I enjoyed as a child. Put it down to feeling burdened by adulthood sometimes or the cosy nostalgia they arouse, I happily reach out for these books knowing they can wield magic and instantly take me back to those carefree childhood days with just the flip of a page. Those days of devouring Nancy Drew mysteries and a multitude of Enid Blyton’s series with adventure, picnics, and boarding schools blended into a captivating whole: the Famous Five, Secret Seven, and suchlike. 

When I heard of a new children’s author who promised a roller-coaster ride into the world of steadfast friends out to solve perplexing mysteries, I couldn’t resist humoring the inner child in me. And, I was not the least bit disappointed! Katherine Woodfine’s debut novel ‘The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow’ is a delightful romp through Edwardian London of the early 1900s and places the fabulous foursome (in this case) in the middle of exciting adventures with the Sinclair’s Department Store as their common meeting ground. While fighting dastardly villains, breaking codes, and relishing iced buns, the four friends try to do ‘the right thing’.

In addition, the book has a beautiful cover: a gold-embossed one dressed with quirky illustrations that infuse a lot of fun and invite you to step inside an enchanting world. Just look at this adorable cover! Would you not want to hold the book in your hands and trace the illustrations with your fingers? 

Welcome to the Sinclair’s Department Store! Located in Piccadilly and London’s largest shopping destination with over 100 departments, this is a ‘unique modern emporium open to the world’. Explore 8 floors of shopping goodies that can fulfil the desires of every mortal. Go beyond shopping and lose yourself in the experience of unparalleled luxury, gourmet dining, and exclusive lounges. After reading about this dream of a store, I couldn't help but wish for a Sinclair's where I live.

It is in this soon-to-be-opened haunt of London’s elite that recently orphaned Sophie applies for a job and starts to work for the Millinery department. Having lived a life in many ways similar to what her customers enjoy, Sophie bravely adjusts to the change in fortune and with remarkable resilience resolves to do her best as a shop girl. While working at Sinclair’s she befriends mannequin (fashion model in today’s times) Lilian Rose and porter Billy. She is also kind to vagrant Joe who is on the run from a dangerous gang 'Baron’s Boys' and is later provided shelter by Billy.

But soon things turn topsy-turvy when Sinclair’s is burgled of precious jewellery and a unique gem-studded clockwork sparrow. Sophie is placed under suspicion having entered the premises after closing time and is soon fired. Sophie’s misfortune propels her friends to prove her innocence and thus is born the fabulous foursome! Sophie, Lilian, Billy, and Joe unite to use their detective prowess and are soon chasing clues which lead them to none other than the Baron. But who is the Baron? No one has seen him and no one knows his real name. Will the four friends be able to prove Sophie's innocence?

I thoroughly enjoyed joining Sophie and her friends as they navigated their way to the truth while learning to be responsible and astute, and much admired their loyalty to each other. I have the second book lying in wait on my bedside table and am totally ready to embark on the next adventure in this light-hearted series, so adroitly laced with humor and lovingly wrapped in kinship.

My Rights as a Reader!

“You can’t make someone read. Just like you can’t make them fall in love, or dream.”

Books about books are my favorite type of books! You will know this if you go here and here. I have just finished Daniel Pennac’s delightful book ‘The Rights of the Reader’ and am so mad at myself for letting it remain in my TBR pile for years. A gift for having won a book blog contest hosted by a friend some six years ago, it has lain quietly on my bedside table waiting its turn.
I thank ‘whatever’ it was that made me finally pick it up as my lament for lost time will now be confined to these six years.

In a friendly and warm conversational tone, Pennac invites us to explore our love for reading and why for some of us it dies an early death. First and foremost, reading is a choice. While some of us regard it as sustenance for the soul, there are many who can do without reading and not feel they are missing a thing. I may fall into the former category but I have plenty of very special friends who fall in the latter and their being non-readers doesn’t make me like them any less. Just as finding me with my nose in a book, almost all the time, doesn’t make me any less acceptable to them.

In his absolutely adorable book, Pennac defends the simple act of reading for pleasure. Reading not because we have to, but because we want to. Each chapter rings a bell and I recognised so many truths that we bury as we grow up and start reading more for a purpose than for the sheer joy of it. Interspersed with quirky and fun illustrations by Quentin Blake, flipping the pages of this book is unadulterated enjoyment and at the same time evokes meaningful introspection.

And, let’s not forget Pennac’s greatest gift of all- The Rights of The Reader.

Source: Pinterest

 https://www.pinterest.com/donnamiller44/fun-posters/

http://readingculture.wikispaces.com/Background+Information

Here are My Rights as a Reader:

1.       The Right Not to Read

Reading doesn’t have to become a daily habit. If I don’t feel like reading on a particular day, well I won’t. In fact, I have often swung between 24 hour reading marathons and absolute abstinence from books for at least 3 days. I read when I want and if I want.

2.       The Right to Skip

Just want to follow choice characters and not go through pages on pages of descriptions about places, food, weather, and clothes? Go ahead. No one is insisting that we read every page. I used to feel guilty about doing this when I was younger but with age my preferences have found their groove and if I find some bits of a novel boring I just jump to the part that excites me. Of course if I found large bits of a novel boring I would just dump it which brings me to my next right.

3.       The Right Not to Read a Book

At times I start a book with great anticipation and interest but as I go further into the story I just feel burdened. The connection I thought would be built seems to have fizzled out even before it can truly form. It’s time then to admit that the book was a mistake. However, I never regret these mistakes for it is only by exploring many many authors, and genres, and writing styles that I have been able to identify my preferences. Now that I know my taste, the chances of DNFing a book have also lessened.

4.       The Right to Read it Again

Loved a book? Want to read it again? Well, why not? Reading a favorite as many times as I want is a sure thing with me. For that matter, I couldn’t tell you how many times I have read Pride and Prejudice even if I wanted. I have simply lost count!

5.        The Right to Read Anything

You like reading purely escapist thrillers but would rather say you prefer literary fiction. Why pretend? There are many in this world who loved the ‘Twilight’ trilogy and devoured the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ trilogy even if you didn’t. They have the right to read what they want. The good part is so do you! While there are good novels and bad novels, forcing yourself to stay away from the bad novels is just going to lure you to the forbidden fruit. Alongside the burger, I take time to enjoy the Chef’s special. In time, I hope, I may just find myself completely off junk food. If not, I do like burgers quite a bit.

6.       The Right to Mistake a Book for Real Life

At times, I have over-identified with certain characters and their circumstances and felt a book was totally written for me. With passing years, this excitement of being swept away completely by a book has mellowed down and I look back with amused fondness at my infatuation for some book which I would not touch today with a barge pole. But reading it was fun then, and remembering those days is fun now.

7.       The Right to Read Anywhere

I read while commuting to work, in airport lounges, in flights, in trains, in cabs, while standing, while sitting, and at times when I lay down for a while. I can even remember finishing a Stephen King novel while climbing the stairs! I read wherever I want and whenever I want.

8.       The Right to Dip In

I enjoy picking up books randomly from my bookshelf and letting them open on any page. I may then read a sentence, or a paragraph or sometimes the entire page. Often enough, I have flipped pages only to whimsically stop at a certain page and just read what it says. If I am in the middle of a breathing-down-my-neck project deadline and do not have the time to drink a novel, I just sip on short stories or excerpts.

9.       The Right to Read Out Loud

As a child, I used to often read out loud and vary my tone taking on the voice of different characters as the story progressed. As an adult, I do not do this. Haven’t really wondered why or when I stopped. But I do appreciate that I have the right to feel the emotions the words convey and speak the words out loud as if the world of the book had come alive for me.

10.    The Right to Be Quiet

For some books that I read I find myself unable to or do not wish to explain, review, discuss, or opine. A story may affect me too strongly and while I may ‘feel’ the meaning I may not really ‘know’ the meaning of what I read. For example, I always feel the need to be quiet after I read any of Khalid Hosseini’s novels. And I have every right to keep my reasons for reading a book, and my feelings about the book to myself if I so wish.

 Have you exercised all your rights?