Keep calm and read a book

I’ve dropped off the blogging this last week or two – mainly because I’ve been busy reading a ton of good books. Here are my top picks!

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray I’ll start with the obvious – at over 650 and pages, this is a massive book. Even though it weighed down my handbag, I carried it with me everywhere because I couldn’t stop reading it. In short: I loved this book.

Set in a boarding school in Ireland, it essentially follows the lives of the boys and teachers who walk its halls. The book revolves around one main event – Skippy, a student at the school, does indeed die. But why? Over what? And how does his death affect the lives of everyone around him?

This novel is ambitious. There are lots of characters and lots of themes, chief amongst them the realisation that happens to all of us as we get older - life is usually not what we expected it to be. And sometimes you just have to grow up and face reality. Murray captures adolescence perfectly – in all its funny, poignant glory. He’s got his bases covered - from your friendly school psychopath to your overweight genius to your sex-obsessed teenager. And the adults in the book are equally confused, facing their flaws and failures.

Sometimes I laughed out loud, other times my heart broke. Don’t let the size put you off – the quality of Murray’s writing keeps the story flowing nicely, despite the many voices he adopts to tell his characters stories. Highly recommended, if you don't mind dark subject matter.

Faithful Place by Tana French This is the third book in this author’s repertoire and having read all of them, I think its her best. French writes mysteries at heart – but what makes hers stand out from other authors in the genre is her character development and storytelling – her books read more like literary fiction than a typical thriller.

In her latest novel I think she nails the right balance between character and mystery. 20 years ago, Frank and the love of his life, Rosie, had plans to get out of suburban Ireland for good by running away together to London. But on the night they were set to leave, she never showed.

Now, Frank’s an undercover cop in Dublin. He’s always assumed Rosie ditched him, escaping to London on her own because of his family baggage. He hasn’t been back home since that night – until now, when an old suitcase thought to be Rosie’s is uncovered. So what happened to her?

One of the highlights of this book for me was the dialogue. Despite the sad subject matter, all the Irish swearing and carrying on kept me giggling. And I grew to love Frank too, who was flawed, yet so good. This one will definitely keep you reading. 
 

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan I don’t even know how to begin explaining this fascinating book. It’s short, but has big impact. Our two main protagonists are Bennie, a music producer, and Sasha, his assistant. Every chapter is told from the perspective of a completely different character, but every one of them is somehow associated with either Bennie or Sasha, or someone else they know.

Confused yet?

The main theme of this book is the passage of time. As you read it, you have no idea whether you’re in the past, the future, the present. You just have to hope you figure it out. Some characters age, some get younger, some aren’t born yet at different points in the book. There is no linear storyline, and frequently Egan will surprise you by letting you in on what’s going to happen to a character some 20 years down the track, before they even know it themselves.

I don’t think this will be a book for everyone, but personally I enjoyed it immensely. If you want traditional structure in a novel, this isn’t the book for you – but if you’re willing to step out of the box, give it a go. It didn’t win the Booker Prize for nothing.

The Provence Cure for the Broken Hearted by Bridget Asher I like a good love story as much as the next person, as long they aren’t sappy and over emotional – novels like the Time Travellers Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, or One Day by David Nicholls are two that stand out for me.

This book caught my eye mainly because it was set in Provence, France (a place I’d love to visit), and because I had read so many meaty books that I wanted to read something a bit more lighthearted. But the cover, frankly, put me off. It looked like it was going to be an over the top, lovey dovey emo-fest.

In some ways, it was a bit over the top. Heidi is still grieving for her husband Henry, who died in a car accident. She feels incapable of moving on, despite the fact that it’s been 2 years since his death. By chance, she is given the opportunity to spend a summer in her mother’s family home in Provence with her son and 16 year old niece, and here she must learn to overcome her grief and live again.

Typical story – not so typical writing. I have to say, the prose is what got me about this book. It was so easy to read, but so beautifully written. Provence came alive, I could taste, touch, smell the place through Asher’s gorgeous imagery. Although she could be a bit too emotional for me, I was surprised to find all the same that she had some pretty nice insights into life, love and death. I was even more surprised to find myself tearing up at certain points in the book – highly unusual behaviour! Maybe I was just in the mood for a bit of romance, but I really enjoyed this book for what it was. A very sweet read.