DLR Libraries

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-12-22T16:35:00.000Z

Boxer, Beetle
by
Ned Beauman

Prepare yourself for an intense read with Ned Beauman's debut novel "Boxer,Beetle".
There's a lot going on in a relatively short novel - two different time lines for a start as well as plenty of beetles, boxers (and fascists).

The action moves between a 21st century paranoid thriller involving the shady world of Nazi memorabilia collectors and the 1930's where the lives of boxer Seth Roach and gentleman entomologist Philip Erskine violently intersect.

The genre shifts and changes in narrative are handled well.

To say anymore would risk giving away some of the plots and turns-it's no mean feat to maintain the tension between the two side by side plots and then to resolve everything with a final flourish.

This is a well-written,funny book that I found compulsively readable.

Jessica

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-11-26T12:01:00.001Z

How could you not love Alan Bennett? An institution, a national treasure, a genius. He has lengthily documented his life and if you wish to read his full memoirs then Untold Stories is where to go. We can’t possibly list all his work here but our personal favourite is probably The Uncommon Reader, a brilliant imagining of what would happen when if Queen fell in love with reading; and if you’ve never read Talking Heads then you really should, they’re each tiny masterpieces.

Recommending memoirs and autobiographies is never easy as it does rather depend on ones interest in the subject. So we’re simply going to recommend a handful of great autobiographies and then recommend a couple of writers who if you might want to discover if you don’t already know them.

So, a few other brilliant memoirs by brilliant writers: Moab is My Washpot by Stephen Fry, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, Toast by Nigel Slater. Tragically I was an Only Twin by Peter Cook, Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes, Miracles of Life by JG Ballard, Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens

One writer we’d particularly like to recommend to Alan Bennett fans is Gervase Finn. An ordinary Yorkshire man who made his living as a schools inspector before turning to writing, he has the warmth, wit and humour of Bennett and his books are a delight. Start with Out of the Woods But Not Over the Hill.

And the only other writer we think of in Bennett’s league is the great Michael Frayn. A reasonably close contemporary of Bennett’s (interestingly they both learnt Russian together at Cambridge for National Service as part of what the KGB dubbed ‘Spy School’ – who wouldn’t give a lot of money to hear them reminisce about that?), Frayn’s excellent Spies feels memoir-ish and all his work is worth exploring.

And so our off the wall suggestions are in honour of Bennett’s Russian fluency:

Death and the Penguin by Andrei Kurkov

The Master & Margarita by Mikhael Bulgakov

Dr Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-11-24T15:09:00.001Z

Why I Love My Library
by
Patrick Roche

When my family immigrated to England back in the 1950's I was a young lad of thirteen and totally unprepared for the culture shock involved. I hated the change from the flexible regime of the Irish Secondary School I had attended in Dublin to the regimented traditions of the English grammar school in which I was now enrolled. The transition had a detrimental effect on my studies and I began to retreat into a world of my own spending many hours of the school day dreaming while studying the changing hues of the ivy that grew prolifically on the red brick mock gothic walls of the college.

I had always loved drawing and painting and to my delight my new school curriculum included a forty minute art class once a week. A real artist, a Polish émigré who had fled the Nazis and settled in London during the war,taught the class. He often used lavishly illustrated art books to show how the artists of the past had used colour,line and form to express their thoughts and feelings. I longed to own such books myself and asked my teacher if I could borrow some. He refused my request and suggested that instead I join the local Library which had a particularly good Art section.

That library became my second home and I would spend most of my free time unearthing its treasures. Here I came to understand and appreciate the great masterpieces of art from the earliest cave paintings to the challenging work of the painters of the twentieth century. In the book scented warmth of that library my loneliness was forgotten in the company of genius.

I did eventually adjust to my new school and I have many fond memories of the English grammar school system I first so hated. Indeed it was almost with reluctance that at the age of eighteen I returned to Dublin as my Mother had patriotically decided that the family should return to our native land.

I enrolled in the National College of Art, which was located right beside the National Library of Ireland on Kildare Street. For a young art student this was a fantastic resource. If inspiration flagged when painting in the studios of the art college the short trip to the great domed reading room of the national library was a great reviver for the spirit. I well remember the feeling of privilege and anticipation while waiting for the books I had ordered to be delivered.

Books on anatomy, books on aesthetics, books on technique,biographies - the wealth of information was at first a little daunting but one soon became skilled in researching the library catalogue and finding material relevant to ones needs. I learned far more in that library than I did in the art college and will always be grateful for the gap it filled in my artistic education.

When I bought my first house I was thrilled as it was located at the top of Library Road the home of the Dun Laoghaire Library. This meant that I was never more than a few minutes from one of my favourite places and during the many years I have lived in Dun Laoghaire that short walk down the Library Road laden with my book returns has never lost its special magic.Those recently read books always raised questions to be answered, the desire to read more of a particular author or another new subject to be researched. The anticipation of an hour or two browsing for my new selection of books has lifted my mood even on the dullest of days.

Now that the library has entered the digital age the online services it provides enables me to search for, renew and reserve books from the comfort of my living room. The library even has the courtesy to send me an email warning that my books are due for renewal or return within three days. I'm sure this decency has deprived the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council of a revenue stream from absent minded readers like me. I can even skip my little stroll down Library Road and download ebooks,audio books, music and video directly onto my computer.

On the first Saturday of each month I meet a wonderful group of people at our book club hosted by the DL library. The staff cordon off an area for us where we can discuss our latest read in relative privacy and comfort. Each month we make a request for a title to read for the following month and the librarian checks to see if enough copies are available within the DL Rathdown branch libraries. If so our book choice is ready for collection at our next meeting.This service is much appreciated by our group and also has introduced me to reading material way outside my comfort zone.

This short piece on why I love my library would never have been written but for the six-week on creative writing taught by Mary O'Brien and hosted by the Dundrum Library as part of the Bealtaine programme for 2006.Here I was inspired to express myself in yet another form and am pleased to say that I and most of the members of that class are still goin strong.We have established ourselves as"The Writeaway Writers Group" and meet bi-monthly in Dundrum Library. For more information please visit our web site at http://arthack.com/writing_group/index.php

Patrick Roche

DLR Libraries would like to thank Patrick for this piece @ Why I Love My Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-11-23T12:11:00.001Z

Come Thou Tortoise
by
Jessica Grant

Before you ask-yes, this novel contains a tortoise,called Winifred.Who gets her own narrative voice. But fear not,this book isn't drowning in whimsy but is an entertaining read written with a light and deft touch.
This is mostly a book about families, the stories they tell each other and how each family builds its own myths and rituals to protect and cherish each other.

The setup of "Come Thou Tortoise" is in many ways a conventional coming of age story: Audrey Flowers gets a phone call that her father is in a coma and flies back to Newfoundland (leaving her tortoise behind) where she was raised by her father and uncle. The novel is both the story of what happens after this and a recounting of events that led up to this point. Audrey, nicknamed Oddly, is a quirky and likeable narrator with her own unique outlook on life and a lot of anxiety about almost everything.

There are mysteries in Audrey's life- things she hasn't quite figured out about her past, and while she reaches some conclusions by the end of the book, one of the great strenghts of this novel is that not everything is spelled out for the reader. There are clues scattered throughout the book about various characters and their history-you may find yourself going back and rereading some sections in light of various plot developments.

There's also an immortal mouse!!

Jessica

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-10-04T17:07:00.001+01:00

The Paris Wife
by
Paula McLain

Paula McLain was motivated to write this wonderful book after reading Ernest Hemingway's memoir"A Moveable Feast" a book about his early Paris years. In this book Hemingways description of his first marriage and his line"I wished I had died before I ever loved anyone but her" moved Mclain by its poignancy and she developed a strong interest in Hadley Richardson. During her research into Hadley, Paula Mclain found that hundreds of letters existed written between Hemingway and Hadley Richardson. She admits that she fell in love with Hadley Richardson, whose charecter and her marriage to Hemingway inspired this simply beautiful book.

I would recommend this book to anyone but think it would make a great bookclub choice

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-09-20T16:15:00.000+01:00

The Other Side of Truth
by
Beverley Naidoo

The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo was an interesting read.It tells the story of Femi and Sade,children to the noted Nigerian journalist, Folarin Solaja,who is one of a few who deems it necessary to tell the truth in his articles. It delves into the importance, but also the consequences of telling the truth. The children have been raised to understand the power of the truth and how it affects mankind,but then they realise that to tell the truth it takes real courage,courage that Femi and Sade don't think they have. To Femi and Sade, its far easier to tell a lie than to tell the truth...but is it ever really?

Filled with very real and important themes in the modern day,yet narrated by a child,it plunges straight in,starting with a family murder, a chilling threat and a hasty escape. So many questions thundering around in the children's heads and then, they are deserted. They realize that telling lies gets you in far more trouble than the truth and how tight a grip the truth has on society.

Tell a lie,play with fire. But don't complain about the smoke!

With their mother's words guiding them, and their father's love helping them,can they overcome a world that tries so hard to oppress the truth?

Mia Ní Challarán

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-09-20T15:59:00.000+01:00

Age 14
by
Geert Spillebean

Patrick Condon lives in Watrford city in 1913,but he is bored of his everyday life and dreams of joining the army. However there is one complication,he's 12 years old. Deciding he can't wait any longer, Patrick enrols using his 17 year old brother's name John Condon.

12 year old Patrick is obviously not even nearly 17 but nobody seems to care and he fits right in. He loves the military life and works hard,but when World War one begins in 1914 he gets more than he asked for.Poor Patrick Condon suffers a gruesome death,choking on poisonous gas at age 14.

This novel is based on a true story. John Condon was killed at age 14 in World War One,but John would have been 18 thatyear,which goes to say that there's a good chance that Patrick Condon was killed in Belgium, at age 14.

I this story has a very interesting plot. However the author didn't quite pull the actual creative writing together well enough for such a good plot.I think that the same ideas just with a different writer would have been better.I didn't think the descriptions were as good as the plot and all the ideas and events in the novel.

However it was definitely a good and inteesting book and I would recommend it

Katie Ni Dheá

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-09-16T12:55:00.001+01:00

Michael Ondaajte interview for Mountains to the Sea Festival

Sarah

Michael Ondaatje was interviewed last night as part of the DLR Mountains to Sea Book Festival by the wonderful Belinda McKeon. His interview fell on the first night of the festival and what a magical opening launch it was. Belinda introduced Michael describing his writing as "achieving an unparralled dream like quality" which is very apt. Michael read from his new novel (The Cat's Table) enchanting the whole audience and proved in the interview to be just as interesting and grounded a person as his books are.

Sarahsbooks is looking forward to Michael's new offering and invites reviews from anyone who has read it already!

Sarah

With thanks to Sarah @Sarah'sBooks

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-09-16T12:40:00.001+01:00

Our Mountains to Sea Round Up
by
Aoife Murray CBI

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside! Especially when there are children's book events taking place. So Mountains to Sea Festival,held in the beautiful maritime settings of Dun Laoghaire, was just the ticket!

Wednesday saw us head to The Mill Theatre for Meg Rosoff(There is No Dog) and Patrick Ness (A Monster Calls) in conversation with Dr Pádraic Whyte of Trinity College. Meg and Patrick had the assembled audience of local school students rolling in the aisles and pondering some cerebral thoughts!

Thursday morning saw us revisit The Mill Theatre again for a reading and Q&A session with national treasure Roddy Doyle. He read from his new novel for children A Greyhound of a Girl and answered many questions from the school pupils present including "what year were you born?" and "how many cars do you have?" (1958 and one respectively!)

Sunday was our CBI field trip to Dun Laoghaire, which saw us at County Hall bright and early for"Stuck on Books" -picturebook whizz Oliver Jeffers in conversation with our very own Inis co-editor David Maybury. Oliver gave a fascinating look at his work and work process via powerpoint (who said powerpoint is boring?!) and after a quick chat with David, Oliver answered questions from picture book fans in the audience.

Sunday afternoon saw the CBI team report for duty at The Family Table Quiz, our specialist subject being....children's books!
Well done to the winning team who won a fab gift bag courtesy of quiz mistress extraordinaire Judi Curtin!
Oh and a special congratulation are due to David again for handling the quiz with aplomb

Aoife

Thanks to Aoife Murray CBI

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-05-06T15:51:00.000+01:00

The Missing
by

Tim Gautreaux

This is a wonderfully atmospheric book, which is beautifully written, full of vivid evocations of the sights, sounds and smells of the American South.

Louisiana is the setting for this riveting story about a kidnapped little girl and Sam Simoneaux, the man on her trail.

Feeling honour bound to find the missing child, Sam gets a job on a pleasure boat, that travels up the Mississippi, entering a wild world of lawlessness and jazz,topped up with moonshine.

The book is an enthralling story about loss, vengeance and redemption, set in the early 1920's it reads very much as though it was actually written there and then.

Borrow this book from your local library it WILL DELIGHT YOU.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-04-19T16:09:00.000+01:00

Paul Howard,Novelist, Playwright and Journalist, has chosen the following five books as having a major influence on him. These books had a positive literary influence on him, both as a lover of literature and as an author.

Thank you so much to Paul for sharing his five favourite books with us:

The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris

Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser

The Comedians by Graham Greene

Guys and Dolls and Other Stories by Damon Runyon

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

Paul Howard

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-03-30T12:29:00.000+01:00

Cutting for Stone

Abraham Verghese

In his commanding novel Cutting For Stone, Abrahm Verghese skilfully brings to life the dichotomy that was Addis Ababa during the 1960's,'70's, and '80's an era of horrendous political upheaval, and social unrest, that transformed the ancient hidden Christian African empire of King Haile Selassie into the Stalinist revolutionary misery under Mengistu, to the final collapse of Mengistu's regime of terror. This is the background to a story of a family, living through these turbulent times. It is a story of love and betryal, death and survival, broken promises and shattered lives, but most of all love.

This novel is the story of twin brothers born in unusual circumstances and the bonds that bind them. The story tells their incredible life journey and what a fasinating journey it is.

There is a lot of medical detail in the novel which might not be to everyone's taste ( not as pretty as ER) but I feel that this adds to the dept of the story lending it more credibility. Prior to reading this book I knew less than nothing about Ethiopia and I was enthralled by the background of Ethiopia's political convulsions during the middle of the twentieth century.

This book has been a huge hit in the US,on this side of the Atlantic it has been less successful, however I believe it is one of those superb books that slowly builds it popularity through word of mouth and friend recommendation. It would make an excellent choice for any book club.

Quite simply I Loved it!

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-03-29T17:43:00.001+01:00

Once again a big thanks to Sarah for the following review!!

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Rhoda Janzen

I would love to meet Rhoda Janzen. When I finished "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" (which is written with fantastic candidness and panache) I felt like I had been into Rhoda's life, read her diary, looked at her credit card statements, seen the contents of her fridge, listened in to her phone calls, gone through her wardrope, lookedat her photo albums...and whats worse I want to know more! The more an author lets you in the deeper a reader will want to go into a story. What is even better than her honesty in this story is the fact that as a person and in her writing Rhoda is unaffected and charming and the same can be said for the story itself.

With fluid humour and light self-deprecation " Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" is a super page turner of a book. Rhoda Janzen, a former poet laureate in the University of California, English Lecturer and all round academic, writes her life story so far (she is only forty-three) in this memoir of growing up in and returning to the Mennonite Community in which she was raised.

Atlantic Books have been great for quirky accessible human interest stories( Cockeyed, Ryan Knighton, Fortune's Daughter, Elizabeth Keogh and God is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens) so it was very easy to make the decision to pick this one up.

Rhoda's husband of fifteen years leaves her for a man named Bob whom he met on Gay.com. In the same week Rhoda is involved in a terrible car crash. Her physical and emotional injuries send her back home to the Mennonite Community from once she fled. Where she begins a sabbatical from her lecturing post. Nursing her broken bones and heart Rhoda reflects on her life spent with a bipolar husband who makes insane impulse purchases like a $385 pair of gloves on Rhoda's credit card. She also reflects on the heavy traditions of the Mennonite Community in which she grew up where everything from dancing to convenience food was banned but where love was abundant.

Rhoda's writing had me sniggering and snorting ungracefully with outbursts of laughter. She is the kind of funny that can only be achieved with candid honesty and an appreciation for the unique problems that simply being human bring. Many stories are worthy of being told but only a select few make it to the New York Times bestseller list and this book did I think because how much the reader is allowed in. There is nothing more fascinating than reading in delicious detail about someone else's life decisions, finances and love life.

I highly recommend this wonderful story, it is so uplifting and bright I almost want to fashion a petticoat and bonnet... Sarah Sarah's Books.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-03-29T16:56:00.000+01:00

Beach House " Teen Dream" ( Bella Union, 2010)

Beach House's third album, Teen Dream was rated very highly in many listeners polls of 2010 and it's easy to hear why.
The Baltimore duo of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand released their exceptional second album called Devotion in 2008 and Teen Dream delivers on it's predecessor's promise in a massive way.
It's an altogether more punchy and hi-fi follow-up, establishing just how Beach House have quickly emerged from the shadowy indie underground and are busy announcing themselves as a major new force in popular music.

Preferring to describe their music as "make-out jams", Beach House sound like they're pitched somewhere between Mazzy Star, Big Star, ABBA and Air. They're nostalgic, melancholic at times but often strident and blazingly optimistic. Open, emotive,anthemic and earnest but never mushy or maudlin.
Soaring slide guitar and pealing keyboards weave into often majestic choruses led by Legrand's impassioned, throaty tones.

Particular highlights include the stellar "10 Mile Stereo" (currently rotating on prime-time TV as the new Guinness ad song), "Norway" and the sublime opening gambit, " Zebra".
But drop the laser anywhere on"Teen Dream and you'll find it's an album chock-full of highlights and a bold,resounding artistic success all round.

G.M.

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-03-09T12:51:00.000Z

Sincere Thanks to Bert Wright for the following book review:

John Giles
A Football Life.

Most soccer biographies are a complete waste of time. Superficial,sensationalised and self-serving they add more to the so-called superstars bank balance than they do to the store of knowledge of the beautiful game. Because it is the opposite of all these things, Johnny Giles' biography, A Football Man, is a book to savour, a frank and understated account of what it was like to be a professional footballer in the days before the tsunami of TV money washed in and began to erode the values embraced by Giles and his contemporaries.

Johnny Giles was and remains Ireland's greatest football man. As a player, national team manager and pundit, his work has been distinguished by a tough uncompromising honesty that has in recent years earned him the status of national treasure. But it wasn't always this way. Opponents who had their shins corrugated by Giles in his Leeds United heyday might have seen it differently and one of the interesting aspects of the book is Giles' anxiety to defend Revie's Leeds from the always partial complaint that they were a dirty team. Predictably,Giles pitches in his tuppence on David Peace's novel The Damned United which, he protests,played fast and loose with the facts. Still, wouldn't you loved to be a fly on the wall when Cloughie first confronted the Wild Bunch?

Giles was part of a generation of young post-war footballers who came up the hard way,learned their skills on the streets,left home as little more than children, and ended up living in digs in grimy Northern English towns. In the mornings they trained hard and cleaned the senior pros' boots. Because they were paid buttons,their leisure time rarely featured activities any more racy than coffee bars and snooker halls but you get the impression Giles accounts himself luckier than today's ego maniacal millionaires.

As RTE pundit Giles constant theme is commitment, hard work and honest endeavour;even if a player has limited talent,that's the very least a player owes his employers and his fans. As on TV, so in the book and fans will be fascinated by the exacting standards Giles sets for the "great players"; x qualifies but y doesn't because he squandered his talent. He is equally frank in his assessment of icons of the game such as Busby and Shankly who, though great men in their achievements,were far from flawless(Busby was tight with money and Shankly regarded player injuries as a form of betrayal).

Football has been good to Johnny Giles and his gratitude for enjoying the enormous stroke of good fortune his talent bestowed on him is written in every page of this terrific sports-read.
ENJOY

Bert Wright
Curator Mountains to Sea
Curator Irish Book Awards

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-02-22T16:22:00.000Z

North and South

Elizabeth Gaskell

It's probably a bit cheeky reviewing a classic, but for those who worked their way through Austen and the Brontes during the Winter and find themselves at a loss, Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South might just do the trick.

Margaret Hale is uprooted from her idyllic life in Helstone in the rural South of England to the dirt, deprivation and industrial unrest of a mill town in the North.

Margaret initially despises the change of setting, pace and most particularly manners. As she befriends workers in the mills, she starts to adapt to her new life and becomes accustomed to her reduced surroundings.

One steadfast is her derision for the factory owners,most especially her father's friend John Thorton, who has become her admirer against his better judgement and the wishes of his domineering mother.

Gaskell is as capable as Austen of clever plotting and wry dialogue. Yet she can create characters and scenes as forbidding as any of the Bronte's ( with whom she was friendly,in fact she wrote a biography of Charlotte Bronte). The setting in a town in the midst of industrial unrest and great change gives the novel a greater sense of urgency and energy than pastoral Austen.

Be warned there is the occasional hint of puritanical mores-at play-it is mildly squeamish about poor people and mobs and bordering on hysterical about poor people in mobs. Also worth noting is Gaskell's portrayal of the imported Irish mill workers which is fairly hilarious in its casual racism, though typical of much of the writing of the era.

At the very least Gaskell attempts to offer a complete snapshot of life for all the social strata of an industrial Northern town.

Overall North and South is an engaging novel to escape to while the long evenings are still with us.

Dympna Reilly

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-02-18T11:35:00.000Z

The Slap

by Christos Tsiolkas

We recently read this book for our Book Club and Oh my God it "so doesn't do as it says on the tin"!

I have never done something like this before but people must beware of the reality of this book. It is not about The Slap of a 3 year old boy, which by its' title lulls every poor unsuspecting reader into it's vile clutches.

It is about everything reprehensible in an end of the world type depiction of "The Modern Family".

To sum it up it is a vulgar,racist,sexist,bigoted read. With the apparent relish of the writer it touches on everything vile from"the smashed jaw and teeth" of a wife of one of the characters, to drug and alcohol abuse, multiple extra marital affairs,sex scenes that make you feel personally violated as as abused as the characters, to borderline paedophile undertones.

If this is the"modern family" or "modern living" in Australia well God love them

Avoid this book as you would the Ebola virus!

Carmel- Co.Dublin

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-02-17T16:55:00.000Z

The Long Song

Andrea Levy

Andrea Levy's fifth book The Long Song is a clever, consuming read worthy of its place on the Man Booker shortlist last year.

Set in Jamaica in the 19th century it tells the story of July, born into slavery on the sugar plantation of Amity and who eventually sees its abolition.

July's story loosely abides by some of the conventions of the slave narrative genre. The original slave narratives were the testimonies of freed slaves distributed by abolitionists and were a powerful propaganda tool. The true-life stories of ex-slaves such as Frederick Douglas and Mary Prince are, like The Long Song, riviteting and harrowing but because of their intended audience the slave narratives were restrained and formulaic. The Long Song as a work of fiction is not so reserved-in fact it's all energy and emotion.

Through July Levy explores how a bigoted and brutal system warps the attitudes and aspirations of those subjugated by slavery. The most depressing passage of the novel is July's description of how the colour of children can be "raised" through the generations so that " a mulatto who breeds with a white man will bring forth a quadroon; and a quadroon that enjoys white relations will give forth to this world a mustee; the mustee will beget a mustiphino and the mustiphino's child with a white man for a papa will find that each day...welcomes them with a smile,as they at last stride within this world as a cherished white person"(p187.)

Thus July, a mulatto, is ecstatic when her beauty brings her to the attention of the young new master at Amity. And for a time she gts a glimpse of her heart's desire only to lose it all in the most callous way, but despite it all July is determined to get her happy ending.

Levy manages to pull off the tricky manoeuvre of creating an occasionally unpleasant central character but keep you reading notheless. She does this by evoking a brutal environment in which one must draw on and develop their nefarious side in order to survive. In spite of July's flaws and the subject matter be assured this is not a miserable read. July's endless optimism, resilience and vivacity leads you to root for her throughout her long song.

Dympna Reilly

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-02-14T15:44:00.001Z

Thanks to Sarah @ Sarah's Books.com, for the following review:

What to Look for in Winter: A Memoir in Blindness

Candia Mc William

I would as a reader generally shy away from reading memoirs and biographies as even the most interesting stories are so heavily grounded in narrative they become disengaging. Candia McWilliams memoir What to Look for in Winter is movingly different. She sets the narrative of her suffering at the loss of her sight against the often tragic but beguiling story of her life producing a well paced and plotted memoir.

Mc Williams was judging the Booker Prize in 2006 when she first began to lose her sight and when we meet her in the book she is Cambridge educated, part of the English aristocracy, has been married twice once to an Earl and emerged out of these relationships with three children and a wicked drink problem.

I believe in person there is an other worldliness quality about McWilliams and a striking beauty, the same can be said about her writing. Her memoir has a detached tone when describing her experiences which mirrors McWilliams own withdrawal from the world. Throughout her life she gains and loses many things; husbands,homes,health,self respect....she probes each experience with her beautiful literary eye pulling together the sense of her life with the aid of a Cambridge inspired vocabulary. Her strong sense of self is paraded out through confident prose and language, meaning becomes jewelled in language. In one particularly beautiful scene McWilliams daughter asks her why she likes the royal family and her explanation encapsulates the ideology of the royal family with a very clever perspective.

Her experiences at times are physical (the loss and re-gain of her sight, horrific battles with alcohol), at times they are heavily emotional self-destructive, ugly,romantic poignant but the eye with which McWilliams looks at her own life is so probing that all these experiences and battles with herself are beautiful because they are self aware.

It is with deep self-awareness this memoir is written and thats what sets it apart from the others. That and the extraordinary life McWilliams has so far led. One reviewer of Mc Williams describes her like"a northern princess gazing out of a cold castle onto icicles and pale eyed wolves" and this is truly apt.

Sarah
Sarah's Books.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-01-18T14:12:00.001Z

Any Human Heart

William Boyd

Logan Mountstuart, 1906 - 1991, A life well lived. Logan Mountstuart, author, spy, husband, father, student, son, lover, adulterer, rich man, poor man, human.

Any human heart is told to us through Mountstuart's journals. This is the story of a life, lived to excess, but also the banal of the ordinary everyday that makes up all our lives. Mountstuart's story is a journey through the twentieth century.

I adored this book, reading it virtually non stop over a three day period. While I cannot say I liked Logan Mountstuart, sometimes I positively disliked him, at the end of the book (the end of his life) I mourned his loss.

William Boyd, writes as if Mountstuart was a real person, who lived this story, and this rings completely true. It was fascinating how Boyd weaved real people into Mountstuarts's journals.

Brilliant storytelling

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-01-18T13:59:00.000Z

For those who have run out of Skulduggary Pleaseant to read Helen recommends these five you might like:

Darren Shan-----Lord Loss ( The Demonata)

Felix Bogarte----Dead and Unburied ( The Dead Detective)

Jonathan Stroud---- The Amulet of Samarkand ( The Bartimus Trilogy)

F.E. Higgins--------The Eyeball Collector.

Anthony Horowitz----Raven's Gate ( The Power of Five)

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-01-14T15:45:00.000Z

Sister
by

Rosamund Lupton

When Beatrice gets a frantic call to say that her younger sister Tess is missing she drops everything and gets the first available flight home to London.

The police, Beatrice's mother and fiance all accept that Tess is gone, Beatrice however refuses to accept and refuses to give up on her much loved sister. She is determined to uncover the truth,no matter what the cost.

This is a compelling and highly original psyclogical thriller. It is written with a powerful voice, that defies the fact that it is Rosamund Lupton's debut novel.

The strong love between Bea and Tess shines out of the pages.

I would concur with the Daily Mail that said its devastatingly good, and announces the arrival of a truly original talent"

Great Read!!

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-01-12T12:29:00.000Z

The Breakdown Lane

Jacquelyn Mitchard

Julieanne Steiner loves her life, she is a devoted wife and mother, who writes an advice column for a Wisconsin newspaper. As an agony aunt she dishes out advice to people who need answers to intimate situations and questions in their lives. Little does she know that her happy family life is about to be shattered and that she will need all her inner strenght to cope with the deserting of her family by her husband and the devastation of the diagnosis of a debilitating disease.

Jacquelyn Mitchard has written an excellent story about love, loss and renewal. The book has two main voices Julie and her son Gabe. We follow the story by reading both Julieanne's and Gabe's personal journals.

This is a good read.

I would also recommend other novels by Jacquelyn Mitchard, for example: Deep End of the Ocean. Mitchard writes about ordinary people who face life changing events and how this impacts on their lives and the lives of those around them.

If you like the novels of Jodi Picoult, you will like Jacqulyn Mitchard's books.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2011-01-11T17:42:00.004Z

No and Me

Delphine De Vigan

Lou is a thirteen year old girl living in Paris. She is an exceptional student with an IQ of 160 who is excelling in school.But Lou lives a lonely life with a mother who is suffering with depression and a father who is caught up taking care of her mother. She is a tiny girl, much shorter than her schoolmates,who is neglected by her parents and forgotten about by her classmates. Her intelligence however affords her a freedom on a higher level and Delphine De Vigan uses this to narrate a story on homelessness set against the backdrop of one of the most grandiose and beautiful cities in the world-Paris.

Tenderly written, Delphine De Vigan tackles the issue of homelessness using the voice of Lou. It is a beautiful idea that such a little girl can take on the large problem of homelessness. Lou meets an older homeless girl called No with whom she strikes up a friendship and eventually No comes to live with Lou and her parents. This book gives the reader philosophical insights into how society can continue to let people live on the streets and Lou's innocence generates a powerful narrative. De Vigan tackles the issues head on and her language is simple. These two methods lend the novel a strong emotional foundation.

No and Me topped the bestseller charts in France where it was the bookseller choice in 2007. Bloomsbury is publishing two editions for adults and for teenagers. I didn't know beginning the book that it was a crossover novel but it became clear very quickly. It is highly recommendable for young teenagers, a coming of age story and a good introduction to philosophy.

An interesting read and a super translation from the original French story.

Sarah

Sarah's Books.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-20T12:24:00.001Z

Picture Books about the Navity:

Nicholas Allan ----Jesus's Christmas Party

Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen__The Fox's tale: Jesus is born

Kate Weston and Ameila Rosato---Granny goes to Bethlehem

Michael Foreman ---Cat in the Manger

Jan Pienkowski---The First Christmas

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-17T12:47:00.001Z

Those of you who have run out of Diary of

a Wimpy Kid to read, might like:

Henry Winkler----Niagara Falls-or Does it? ( Hank Zipzer the world's greatest underachiever.

Louis Sacher ----Kidnapped at Birth (Marvin Redpost)

Rachel Renee Russell----The Dork Diaries

Lincoln Pierce-----Big Nate: The Boy with the Biggest Head in the World

Pete Johnson----Help I'm a Classroom Gambler

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-17T12:39:00.001Z

Skippy Dies

Paul Murray

If comedy is tragedy...

I read an article with Paul Murray in which he said he finds writing difficult at the best of times....I'm afraid that this novel betrays that sentiment entirely Mr Murray! Skippy Dies is exemplary fiction. It is a whopping novel at six hundred and sixty one pages but the turn of each page reflects fluid and very accomplished storytelling. Bravo to its publisher Hamish Hamilton (Penguin Books) who bravely published the novel divided into three separate books (called Hopeland, Heartland and Ghostland) in a beautiful slipcase. Paul Murrays last novel An Evening of Long Goodbyes was published back in 2003 and was shortlisted for the Whitbread prize.

The title of this novel opens the first scene where Skippy, a border at Seabrook College for boys in Dublin, dies in a doughnut eating race with his roommate. Skippy Dies hosts a range of characters but the main protagonists are Skippy a very gentle and quiet boy, his roommate, Ruprecht Van Doren, a grossly overweight genius who is single handedly raising the GPA of every other student at Seabrook and their somewhat ill-fated History teacher Howard the Coward.

Skippy dies is highly accomplished. What makes it different from other fiction books out there? It's the fact that Murray interweaves and uses to great effect seemingly opposing philosophical, scientific and mythological ideas in the story. He effortlessly fuses the magic of Irish folklore with science as if folklore was a way all along to explain unexplainable scientific theories like M Theory and String Theory.He uses cosmology as a way to illustrate the beauty of human endeavours and as an antithesis to human behaviour with a potent and lyrical effect.

There is great comic timing in this novel. I never saw myself chuckling at the foul mouthed and sex driven antics of school boys but I did frequently and often when reading it. However it's these same characters that take you to the dark side of life also and you'll find yourself willingly going there with them.The twists and turns of their young lives set up a plot with a vast range facilitating the exploration of ideas and many dark subjects such as bereavement, domestic violence, abuse and self harm. These are subjects that cannot be simply touched upon and Murray's novel commits itself to their investigation through his characters development.

Finishing each book you begin to ask more and more just why Skippy dies...and the answer is just as intricate and fascinating as the title implies. It's like tripping into the light fantastic with these characters whose life lessons and beginnings of self awareness, which are often so witty, take you to some very dark places. If comedy is truly tragedy Paul Murray has hit the nail on the head with this novel.

Sarah

Sarah's Books

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-13T15:39:00.002Z

Un Prophete

by Jacques Audiard (France,2009)

Set in a contemporary French prison outside Paris, Jacques Audiard's Un Prophete tells the story of nineteen-year old Malik el Djebena (Tahar Rahim). We meet him in the opening scene, arriving scared and bewildered to begin the first day of a six year sentence. From that point on we are with him throughout this tough,uncompromising two and a half hour film, the camera kept tight to his face. Everything he sees and hears we see and hear too, plunging into the dark, violent world of prison life with him.

Unable to read or write, Malik does not seem at first a hardened criminal. He is completely alone in jail, and initially finds himself beaten in the yard and hit on in the showers.He is then attacked and threatened by a Corsican gang who he learns hold considerable sway,both with their fellow inmates and the prison guards. They force him to do a favour for them, and from then on he begins a fascinating journey, becoming more and more integrated into the gang and slowly developing both as a man and a powerful gangster before our very eyes.

Gang leader Cesar (a brilliant Niels Arestrup,who featured in Audiard's earlier 2005 De Battre Mon Coeur s'est Arreté) takes Malik under his wing, using him for further criminal activities both inside and (during day release later in his incarceration) outside prison. But this is no soft-centred father-son relationship. Cesar is cold-hearted,violent and calculating, and Malik learns that in order to survive he must become so himself.On short trips undertaken for Cesar to Paris and Marseilles, he begins to establish his own,independent criminal contacts and operations, and to make plans for a life of organised crime, post-prison.

The main strenght of the film is the approach it takes to this material. Audiard has said he intended the film as the anti-Scarface, and it is most certainly this and a whole lot more.There is no glamour in this world, no rags to riches aspirational tale disguised as a crime drama. Malik's world is cold and brutal, with the grittiness alleviated but never glossed over by gorgeous, often handheld cinematography and mournful, stirring piano and strings.

Un Prophete exceeds on every level,and is one of the finest films in any genre of the past five years. To say anymore in this review would be to spoil it. It has the unmistakable feel of greatness to it, and serves to remind how thrilling, daring and powerful cinema can be both as art and entertainment.

I borrowed my copy from DLR Libraries, and you really should too.

Steven Callaghan

Steven Callaghan is the author of the Paris set novel Fishing in Beirut. For more information see fishinginbeirut.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-11T13:49:00.000Z

Spaced

The Complete First Series

Thanks To Jessica for the review

People may be familiar with director Edgar Wright from Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and more recently Scott Pilgrim Vs the World, but before he was entertaining us with these films, he was making TV series called called Spaced. One of the best flat share comedy series around
Spaced features Tim (Simon Pegg) and Daisy ( Jessica Hynes) as two strangers who pose as a professional couple to successfully rent a desirable flat in London.
Peripheral characters include a deranged landlady, an eccentric artist who lives in the basement and an assortment of friends and acquaintances.
It's full of pop culture references from cult films and comics, and this keeps it light and consistently funny. If you've ever shared a flat,been to a rubbish house party, stayed up all night playing computer games or been so disappointed by The Phantom Menace that it still hurts ten years later, then this is for you.

With only seven espisodes in each of the two series Spaced can be watched over a couple of nights; it's easy to see how this series has gained cult status.
Have fun seeing how many of the film and sci-fi references you can get!!

Jessica

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-08T12:12:00.001Z

Vanishing Acts

Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is fantastic. She is an author who knows the craft of storytelling instinctively and is mistress of suspense. She is also an interesting person in her own right.She studied creative writing at Princeton and has a Masters in education from Harvard and it wasn't until she was pregnant with her first child that she wrote her first novel in 1992.

For such a young author (she is forty-three) her world view is impressively broad and sensitive.

The seventeen works of fiction she has already produced are impressive psychological explorations of dark occurrences in ordinary people's lives. Her ordinary characters deal with these extraordinary circumstances with deeply interesting psychological and moral perspectives that have spun many readers into a captivating web.

Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts is wonderful to listen to on CD.

Delia Hopkins, the central character, is a young woman preparing for her wedding who is a committed and successful missing person's investigator. Picoult has her leading lady living in New Hampshire where she is close to her father who has raised her since her mother's death when she was four years old and is a loving mother to her young daughter Sophie.

You will like her.... no reader wouldn't that is maybe why when the Country Police come to arrest her father one day for the kidnapping of a young girl you feel her shock as strongly as she feels it.....

Picoult will not win any awards for her literary writing. Although this sounds unkind it is just one way to measure a work of fiction.What she excels in is showing a story so compellingly crafted and human that it commands millions of fans and you can't argue with that.

The story is so enthralling that while listening to it in my car I would fumble to change the Cd's to the detriment of my driving. Get caught up in Picoult's web and I'll meet you there!

Sarah

Thanks to Sarah for this review.

You can check out Sarah's reviews

@ Sarah's Books.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-12-08T11:49:00.000Z

Soccer Stories for 7+

Judy Brown -------------- Super Soccer Boy and the Exploding Footballs.

Theo Wilcott---T.J. and the Hat Trick

Helena Pielichaty---Do Goalkeepers wear Tiaras?

Tom Palmer -----Boys United

David Bedford The Football Machine

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-23T17:33:00.001Z

Thanks to Sarah for this review.
You can check out Sarah's reviews
@ Sarah's Books.com

Truth or Fiction
By
Jennifer Johnston.

There is Banville, Tobin, Barry, Trevor, and McGahern.....but there is also Johnston. Where some of these male literary heavyweights have shined in documenting Ireland of the 1940's & 1950's through their novels, and have received much acclaim for this, the evolved writing of Jennifer Johnston has moved through and worked with Ireland's passing times with grace.I for one listen with close attention when she has something to say through a novel and this latest one upholds her well deserved place in Irish literary fiction.

Truth or Fiction, her nineteenth novel,explores the palpable ideas of memory, age and marriage through the story of English journalist Caroline Wallace. When Caroline is dispatched by her editor to interview ninety year-old Desmond Fitzmaurice, a prolific Irish writer living in Killiney, her own life is put into context by the tumultuous relationships she discovers between Desmond, his wife and his ex-wife. He has tape recordings made over ninety years, he pushes for Caroline to listen to but all she wants to do is a standard interview for her editor and get home. Desmond's behavior towards the women in his life makes Caroline wonder if he is selfish or senile? Are his grandiose stories truth or fiction?

A handful of characters, a slow burning plot and eloquent language work like a symphony together here. This novel, like her many others,will make you use your head,your heart and your intuition. Whereas many of Johnston's contemporaries address specific ideas at a specific time in Ireland, Johnston has broached many ideas and has gone to places in her novels her contemporaries haven't dared to over the years.It is rumored to be a thinly veiled story about Johnston's own heavily private father the playwright Denis Johnston.

How is the main character Caroline's life put into context by the end of the novel? Well the story begins with a marriage proposal and you'll have to treat yourself to the book to find out the answer

Sarah

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-23T16:22:00.000Z

Stand By Me

Sheila O'Flanagan

Dominique Delahaye has an idyllic lifestyle: Happily married to a husband who adores her, a daughter who is also a good friend, a beautiful home that her husband built especially for them.Her days are filled by attending charity lunches to raise money and helping to promote her successful husband's business empire, her life is busy but enjoyable, and she has become accustomed to herself and Brendan being known in the media as "The Fabulous Delahayes".

Then overnight Brendan disappears, and his business empire is in terrible trouble, from the banks, creditors and investors. With the fraud squad at the door, and her life crashing down around her ears, Dominique must deal with the aftermath of her husband's disappearance, both emotionally and financially.

While this is indeed a very timely story in the current economic climate in Ireland, I found parts of this story completely implausible. I don't want to ruin the story but I found the idea that people would be so forgiving to someone who sneaks out in the middle of the night, leaving those left behind to face the mess that they have created, utterly unbelievable.

However, despite these misgivings this book is ideal for a sun holiday or during a long commute. It is despite the various subjects dealt with: post natal depression, marital affairs, and bankruptcy, a light-hearted read for the most part and pure escapism. I can't say that I enjoyed this book but I recognise that Sheila O'Flanagan is excellent at what she does.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-18T15:03:00.000Z

Still Alice

Lisa Geneva

Alice has a lovely happy life: married to a husband she loves, with three grownup children, and a job as a university professor in Harvard that she is passionate about.
She might be turning fifty but sure life begins at 50, and she has so much to do. Books to read and to write, places to see, grandchildren to meet. Life is good!

Alice starts to notice that she can't remember simple things, like words or the name of ordinary household objects, and when she gets lost,close to her home in a place she has been hundreds if not thousands of times, she decides to visit her doctor. Convinced that the temporary memory losses are a symptom of the beginning of menopause. Alice thinks a prescription of HRT and she'll be fine.
However Alice's test results come back with the diagnosis that she has the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

This book is a beautiful gripping story about a person living with this horrendous disease. What makes it so extremely poignant is that the story is told from Alice's point of view, we are inside Alice's head.
And although she might not recognise her own daughter or know where she is, the strong message she is desperate to impart is that above all she is STILL ALICE.

A lovely book that I would highly recommend.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-18T14:46:00.000Z

Faerie Tales for 12+

List compiled by

Helen Power

Holly Black---------------------Tithe

Melissa Marr--------Wicked Lovely

R.J. Anderson---------Knife

Malinda Lo--------------Ash

Aprilynne Pike -----------------------Spells

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-15T15:23:00.000Z

The Passage

Justin Cronin

Are you in the mood for an enjoyably escapist door stopper of a novel to while away the winter evenings? If the answer is yes and you think you might also enjoy the double whammy of a post apocalyptic quest saga that features vampires "The Passage" by Justin Cronin is for you. The book is divided into two different time lines, in the present a military experiment to produce a super soldier killing machine spirals out of control,while a hundred years in the future a band of survivors in a desolated America live out their lives under constant siege.

This is a long book that takes a while to get into but it's worth sticking with. It's not overly scientific or technical with the vampire details but they are agreeably different from the spate of moody demon lovers that have inundated bookshops and libraries recently. Paranormal romance this is not.

The pacing of the plot can be uneven at times but the overall energy of the storytelling kept me up till three in the morning in order to finish it.

Jessica McCarry

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-12T13:04:00.000Z

Helen's Five:

Secret Agent Books For A Boy

A New Reader 7+

Andrew Cope.............Spy Dog

Justin Richards.....................Thunder Raker (Agent Alfie)

H.H. Larry................Deep Waters ( Zak Powers:Mission 1)

Jonny Zucker........Game On ( Max Flash:Mission1)

Elizabeth Singer Hunt....The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur:USA ( Jack Stalwart)

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-11T19:10:00.000Z

Leaving The World

Douglas Kennedy

On the night of her thirteenth birthday while her parents fought and her father drank too much, Jane Howard vowed to her warring parents that she would never get married and never have children.

This statement was to have a huge influence on the rest of her childhood and and this in turn impacts on her relationships and her adult life.

Jane Howard is betrayed or let down by nearly everyone close to her and when tragedy strikes she is compelled to destroy her old life and "leave the world".

This Douglas Kennedy book takes a while to get going and some of the story lines are a bit implausible.However Kennedy demonstrates again his deep insight into womens' lives and his excellence at crafting narratives that grip his readers.

If you are new to Douglas Kennedy, I would recommend his work. Be careful not to judge his gift of telling a good story by this book. Its not his best and I would suggest that he has other wonderful books that are better reads. This one is good at certain points but not great.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-02T17:52:00.001Z

Once again big thanks to Sarah @ Sarah's Books.com

for this lovely review:

Noah's Compass

Anne Tyler

In 1995 Seamus Heaney won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical dept, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past". I suddenly remembered this when thinking of ways of describing Anne Tyler's fiction. Anne's fiction similarly addresses everyday issues and occurrences in the course of her characters lives. Far from being mundane her work address the mystic nature of these occurrences and the complex and rich emotional situations that compliment them.

Anne is as unassuming as her prose which many of reviews of her lately are claiming is responsible for her being lesser known than her contemporaries like John Updike. She has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize twice and has won it once in 1989 for her novel "Breathing Lessons" but the media shy American author from Baltimore hasn't done a book tour nor given a face to face interview since 1977.

Anne Tyler's eighteenth novel "Noah's Compass" is receiving rave reviews. It is not fair of me to ask what is "Noah's Compass" about it is much more purposeful to ask what does it address. Other author's write about the same things as Anne but Anne's skills as an author explore these ideas in an ethical and deep way using minimal but deftly executed prose. The cover of this book I feel is inappropriate as it suggests a pretty light yarn, which is not what she delivers.

"Noah's Compass" addresses the problem of memory loss in older age through the story of Liam Pennywell a sixty year old man who has just lost his teaching post and through an unfortunate incident faces down the onset of memory loss. His life is an ordered and minimalist one. Widowed once and divorced once, Liam lives a sparse and often detached life at stages. The distress of his sudden memory loss colours his relations with his family and his outlook on life. He is a man with very little to lose and very little he is able to achieve.

Anne's writing skills explore this intimately and you learn how appropriate the title of the book becomes when you encounter it's use in the story.

A very fine piece of writing in a very fine body of work from an unsung hero of fiction.

Sarah

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-11-02T15:31:00.000Z

The Missing

Sarah Finch

Sarah Finch's life changed utterly when her brother Charlie went missing when he was only twelve years of age. Her family was destroyed and years later she still grieves for the destruction of her family.

Fast forward sixteen years and Sarah still lives at home with an alcoholic Mother, who keeps Charlie's room as a shrine.

Sarah is a teacher in a local girl's school, when one of her young pupils goes missing.

While out jogging Sarah finds the body of the murdered girl.

The story flips from the present murder investigation, to the past and Sarah's memories of life after Charlie went missing.

While this is a good read, and Jane Casey is to be commended for her debut novel, I would have one major reservation: It seems to me to be very unlikely that Sarah Finch would be so involved in a murder investigation, as an ordinary citizen there is no way that she would be so involved in the murder enquiry into the death of a young girl.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-30T13:07:00.000+01:00

Helen's Five For This Week:

Halloween Books For 12+

Sarah Rees Brennan.....The Demon's Lexicon.

Holly Black..........................The White Cat (Curse Workers).

Dan Wells................I am not a Serial Killer.

Catherine Jinks....The Reformed Vampire Support Group.

Jack Gantos.........The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs.

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-26T17:19:00.000+01:00

Helen's five for this week

Are

Books for Halloween for 9+

Sienna Mercer.....Switched ( My sister the vampire).

John Connelly .......The Gates

Justin Stomper.....Demons of the Ocean (Vampirates)

Darren Shan.....Birth of a Killer ( The Saga of Latern Crepsley)

F.E. Higgins..........The Black Book Of Secrets.

Helen

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-22T15:33:00.000+01:00

The Likeness

Tana French

Traumatised by a narrow escape at the hands of a psychopath, Detective Cassie Maddox transfers out of the murder squad. Possessed by nightmares and fear, the only good part of her life is her relationship with a fellow detective Sam O'Neill. When Sam calls her to the scene of his new case, she is shocked to find that the murdered girl is her double. What's more even more frightening, her ID shows she is Lexie Madison - the identity Cassie had used years before, as an undercover detective.

With no suspects, no leads, and no clues to Lexie's real identity, Cassie's old boss Frank, spots the opportunity of a lifetime: send Cassie undercover in Lexi's place, to tempt the killer out of hiding to finish the job.

This is a good read. It flows easily and the characters are strong and believable.

The story is rather far fetched: the chances of a police detective having a doppelganger who ends up a murder victim does somewhat stretch the boundaries of possibilities.

However this suspension of belief does not detract from the enjoyment of the novel.

I found this an excellent book to help pass the two hours a day I spend commuting on Dart

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-20T12:02:00.000+01:00

Another review from Sarah at Sarah's Books.com

The Finkler Question

Howard Jacobson

The Prose Road is the Road Less Travelled.

Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question has won this year's Man Booker Prize. However reading it didn't change my decision to have firmly backed Damon Galgut's In a Strange Room, for the prize although the two books are very different types of novels.
What is likeable about The Finkler Question is that it is a very dark comedy, something which is so rare in fiction and it is also a remarkable piece of prose writing whose plot allows Jacobson to explore many interesting ideas.

The book hinges on the dynamics of Sam Finkler's friendships with two other men, Julian Tresolve, a former BBC worker whose life and career appear to have suffered from his disgruntled world views and values and his inability to commit to people and long term projects and also with Libor Secivk, an elderly Jewish widower.
Finkler himself is a philosopher and television producer and philosophical musings are resonant in Jacobson's writing style.

One evening Tresolve is attacked and his pride and values are disturbed when he realises 1. his attacker is a woman and 2. when he believes she slurred the words "you Jew" when robbing him of his valuables.
The novel then begins to meditate on ideas of anti Semitism and the Israeli - Palestine conflict with his friend Libor taking over the narrative for a large part of the book musing what it has been like for him to be Jewish in the 21st Century.

I must be honest and say I found this book to be quite difficult. The prose road in fiction for me is definitely the one less traveled in my reading. The novel's concepts are very interesting but heavily ideological, Jacobson's writing voice is strong but heavily philosophical and these elements compounded together to make the novel more challenging than enjoyable.

Sarah
Sarah's Books.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-19T17:06:00.000+01:00

Vows of Silence

Susan Hill

A serial killer is shooting dead young women in the town of Lafferton. The killings have no apparent connection apart from the fact that all the victims are young and female.
Simon Serrailler and his team are facing huge pressure to solve the killing spree with no idea of a motive, very little evidence and mounting public and political unrest.

This is the fourth book in the Simon Serrailler series. To be honest the book is full of doom and gloom. As well as the victims of the serial killer, there is a large dead body count by the end of the novel. Suicides, deaths from cancer, and the devastating illness of Simon's brother in law are all backdrops to the main story.
Serrailler is also finding it extremely difficult to accept that there is a new woman in his father's life.
I found that there is a feeling of lack of coherence in the writing of this book. Which is a great pity because Susan Hill is an award winning writer. Her other books were wonderfully written.
I can only hope that this is a temporary anomaly in this authors work, and that she will return to her previous excellence.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-15T13:15:00.000+01:00

The Big Switch

By Nicholas G Carr

In this Book Nicholas Carr looks at the development of utility or cloud computing, simply defined as computing servies provided over the internet as opposed to those locally hosted, and how it will change society.

The first half of the book compares the development of cloud computing to that of electricity as a utility (The First Big Switch) in late nineteenth and early twentieth century America.

The second half of the book looks at the social consequences of this revolution and leans rather to a dystopian view of the future, with some trenchant comments on privacy, ownership and access.

Carr is also pessimistic about the future of cultural life. Believing that the Internet is resposible for a tidal wave of freely available mediocrity (such as book reviews on library websites) produced by enthusiastic but talentless amateurs.

A fasinating read, but not a particularly cheerful one.

David Hughes

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-15T10:37:00.001+01:00

Helen's Five For This Week:

Funny Books For Halloween for 7 +

Debi Gliori.............................. Witch Baby and Me.

Hiawyn Oram.................My Unwilling Witch Goes To Ballet School.

Guy Bass....................Dinkin Dings and The Frightening Things

Sue Mongredien...............Oliver Moon and the Potion Commotion.

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-13T11:20:00.001+01:00

Special Thanks Again To Sarah For The Following Review.

In A Strange Room

Damon Galgut

"In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep,you are not. And when you are filled with sleep,you never were." The title of this novel and quotation are Damon Galgut's nod to William Faulkner.
This is a greatly admirable story for its literary skill and for the story's ability to drive your thoughts while you read it.

It's literary skills alone address the ideas of memory, fiction, travel and self identity.
The novel is broken down into three parts called The Follower, The Lover, and The Guardian which interestingly have been published as separate strories in the Paris Review.
The lead character is a young man travelling who experiences many profound encounters with fellow travellers on the road affecting him until he returns home a changed man.In The Follower he meets Reiner with whom he travels across Greece. In The Lover a relationship flourishes in Africa but is neither physically nor emotionally consummated and in The Guardian Damon travels through India with a mentally ill friend under very difficult circumstances.

The novel is brimming with intensity, ideas of home and travel and one man's relationship with his own peace of mind and at times the consequences of reaching the limits of peace. I can liken it to a very interesting person articulately expressing the effects othe people are having on them, the constraints of lust and love in their life along with their values of home and travelling.
It uses the first person slipping into the third person narative naturally, which separates this from a memoir into a work of fiction, exemplifying the idea that memory is no more than fiction.
I think Damon Galgut is a very interesting author, I think he expresses human encounters very acutely and I think he is distinguished because of his command of literary skill.
This is a compelling read and has earned a well deserved place on the long list for the Booker Prize.(and The Short List). The novel can't be put in a box but I would exalt it for Galgut's writing style. It is an intense read that says so much simply and it has inspired me to read Galgut's earlier novel The Good Doctor.
I highly recommend it.

Sarah
Sarah's Books.com

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-13T10:52:00.000+01:00

More Recommended Reads From Helen Power.

Children's Librarian Extraordinaire.

Picture Books For Story time For Children over Three

Martin Waddell-------Owl Babies.

Alan Alhberg---------Each Peach, Pear, Plum

Lynn Dodd-----------Hairy McLary from Donaldson's Diary

Julia Donaldson--------The Gruffalo

David McKee------------Elmer

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-08T12:07:00.000+01:00

Room

Emma Donoghue

Wonderful, incredible, sublime, adjectives fail when it comes to describing this fabulous, entirely original book.

At first I mistakely thought that the subject matter would be depressing and sad. However Emma Donoghue's novel, leaves you feeling uplifted and totally in love with a little five year old "man" called Jack.

We see the world/his world through Jack's eyes, his voice and his innocence. Jacks love for his Ma and her unfailing love for him dominate the story, and from every page Jack's imagination shines out .

Emma Donoghue, is a wonderful writer with an amazing gift to paint pictures in your head with her stunning use of language.

I strongly recommend this book...such an antidote to the doom and gloom all around.

Utterly brilliant and thought provoking Jack and his Ma, and Room,

will stay with you long after you have finished. I would suggest like me you read it a second time as the first time you miss a lot of the wonderful language, so engrossed are you in the story.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-07T16:59:00.000+01:00

Freedom

Jonathan Franzen

Freedom is an extremely well written novel, with some beautiful descriptive prose. The novel gives us a panoramic view of an American middleclas family.

The narrative moves fluidly between the four narrators and the overlapping of the narrative means a wonderfully rounded version of the story emerges. The characters are strongly written, and like people you meet in real life they have the ability to make you laugh, cry, they are annoying and irritating. Sometimes leaving you feeling extremely frustrated and sometimes breaking your heart.

Franzen is an extremely gifted writer and the book is a pleasure to read.

However while reading Freedom, I found myself occasionally distracted. Waiting for the bolt of recognition to understand all the hype. Freedom has received rave critical reviews and the book has been hailed as The Great American Novel and the Book of the Century. Now that I have finished Freedom I still have three questions:

Did I enjoy this book?........YES

Is it a good read?................YES

Does it deserve all the hype....NO

This is a purely personal point of view and perhaps should not detract from the enjoyment of the book, or the excellence of the writing.

Freedom is a good book, and I would recommend it.

Despite all the hype.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-04T15:32:00.002+01:00

Special Thanks To Sarah For the following Review:

An American Wife

Curtis Sittenfeld

This is the best page turner I have read in a very long time. At a whopping 558 pages Curtis Sittenfelds's novel "American Wife" is a monster of a story but one that is so enthralling it will have you turning the page every few minutes.
"American Wife" is the fictionalized account of the life of Laura Bush and it seems to be a thinly veiled disguise at that.
How this novel made it out of the legal department of Random House I have no idea...

The narrative is carried along by some very important life markers in the leading lady's youth which I will not spoil by revealing. They are used to perfection in the narrative dynamic as the book progresses over its almost 600 pages. A technique some modern literary authors could take note of...

"Alice Blackwell", the novels leading lady, grows up in a middle class family who are highly moral, well educated, family orientated and good people who are somewhat conservative in their take on life. Alice is the most likable character full of grace and dignity in her conduct. She trains as a librarian, as we know Laura Bush did, and is liberal and openminded so much so she was a democrat, something a lot of us did not know.

How does she come to marry her husband the most notorious Republican of all time?
Well this is a romantic love story above all and one that also respects the institution of marriage as something that requires commitment and work.

An examination of a private and public life lived simultaneously " American Wife" is a fantastic yarn.

Sarah's Books

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-10-04T10:45:00.000+01:00

Big Thanks once again to Helen.

Helen's Five Suggested Reads For This Week:

For Girls 7+ about Families.

Maeve Friel----Tiger Lily, a heroine with a mission.

Karen McCombie----How to be Goodish (Indie Kidd)

Meg Cabot-------Ally Finkle's Rules for Girls

Cassidy Cathy------- Shine on Daisy Star

Judy Bloom----The Pain and The Great One

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-29T12:13:00.000+01:00

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

David Wroblewski

Edgar Sawtelle is a much loved only child. He lives with his parents on a remote farm in Wisconsin. The three of them share an idyllic and loving life, raising a unique breed of dog named after the family: The Sawtelles. The family are devoted to their dogs, and the dogs return this devotion.
Edgar is an extremely gifted young man, who has been mute since birth.

When Edgar's uncle returns unexpectedly to the farm,their wonderful life is shattered irretrievably and taking only three of the dogs, no food or money, Edgar is forced to flee all that he knows and loves.

This is a beautifully written book. The retelling of an age old story is well done.However it is the descriptions of Edgar and his interactions with the dogs who he loves that will win your heart.

David Wroblewski's book is quite simply superb, his imagery is wonderfully vivid, sucking the reader into Edgar's world and into Edgar's mind. The book will remain with you long after you have read the final page.
I would recommend this amazing debut to everyone and I look forward to the next book from this gifted author.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-28T12:38:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Helen for her Five for This Week:

Picture books to help children cope with a Death in the Family:

Michael Rosen-----Michael Rosen's Sad Book.

Judith Kerr-----------Goodbye Mog.

Siobhan Parkinson------All Shining in the Spring: The Story of a Baby Who Died.

Oliver Jeffers-----Heart and The Bottle.

Roddy Doyle-----Her Mother's Face

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-24T12:54:00.002+01:00

Special Thanks To Sarah For the following Review:

Fishing in Beirut

Steven Callaghan

Is romantic Ireland dead and gone....not with the click of your mouse
Whoever said Irish Writing and the Irish Publishing industry is in decline hasn't read Fishing in Beirut. I say this for two reasons. 1. Steven Callaghan is a super brand new Irish voice in writing and 2.This novel is being published, serialized, online.
Fishing in Beirut is an ambitious novel which delivers on many levels and the serialization of this story, online, is one of the most original ways I have encountered a novel.
It is the story of five modern characters living in Paris. It has tangible descriptions of Paris, iconic landmarks we all know mixed in with gritty characters that reveal through their stories, the underbelly of Parisian life that also exists. It is made up of short scenes,beautiful and sometimes poignant literary sentences that you will want to linger over. Each scene and character portrait is full of promise and you feel a culmination building the deeper you go into the novel.
Callaghan's writing is a reward in itself but is balanced with very humanly drawn out characters which makes this literary debut also a compelling page turner.
What I especially loved about this novel was the Hemmingway reminiscent food descriptions which often made me hungry.

With a new scene released every day I have found myself eagerly logging on.Forget the e-reader or the kindle;online publishing is clearly where it's at. If this novel is heralding in a new era in contemporary Irish Literary Fiction, I for one am in. Is romantic Ireland dead and gone? No way...not with the click of your mouse!

Sarah's Books

Fishing in Beirut Steven Callaghan published by Blue Press September 2010.

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-20T12:33:00.001+01:00

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-20T12:22:00.001+01:00

Free Food For Millionaires

Min Jin Lee

Casey Han is the eldest daughter of Korean parents who emigrated to America to seek a better life for their children. Her parents work endless hours to ensure their daughters received a college education.

Casey's years at Princeton have separated her from her family both mentally and physically. She struggles between the culture to which her family so fiercely cling and the life she aspires to, Casey must confront her own identity, the meaning of wealth, and what she really wants from her future. She can no longer fit into the role of a "good" Korean wife, mother, daughter. However she also feels inadequate in her life outside the Korean community. As if she is never quite good enough.

I enjoyed this book, however I would have preferred if the novel focused a little bit more on the other characters in the book, and a little less on Casey's mental angst.

This is a good read with tantalising glimpses in to the world of Korean America.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-16T13:16:00.000+01:00

Lose Team Lose

R.L. Stine

Jennifer Ecch has just joined the all-boys football team and now they cant loose.

The problem is if they win they have to play the Bone-Breakers!

So who's going to stop her?

Hannah age 10

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-16T13:10:00.000+01:00

Under The Hawthorn Tree

Marita Conlon-McKenna

Hi I am eleven years old and in fifth class. In school I am reading Under The Hawthorn Tree. Me and my class and teacher think its very sad.

It is set during the Irish famine and there is barely any food.

The main charecters are Peggy, Michael, Eily, Brigid, and their mam and dad.

Their mam has to look for food. Eily is the eldest and has to look after, Michael, Peggy and Brigid. Their dad is barely in the story because he is trying to work as hard as possible to earn money for his family.

It is a very good book, not just for kids.

I enjoyed this book.

It showed how people got through the great Irish famine.

It is a heartbreaking story

Aline age 11

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-14T17:50:00.000+01:00

A Big thankyou to Helen for the following suggestions:

Animal Books For a Girl.

A new Reader age 7+

Anne Fine ..........Diary of a Killer Cat.

Bel Mooney.........Big Dog Bonnie.

Lucy Daniels....................Hattie's New House ( Little Dolphin)

Dick King Smith.............Sophie is Seven.

Peter Clover....................Sheltie the Shetland Pony

Helen Power

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-14T17:43:00.000+01:00

Salem Falls

Jodi Picoult

This is a read that grabs you from the first page.

Picoult conveys the emotions of a adult as he attempts to start fresh, leaving his tainted past behind him.

Simultaneously, we discover an unfolding web being woven by local teenage girls.

A gripping read and one of Picoult's strongest

Siobhan Worn

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-07T14:03:00.002+01:00

One Day
By

David Nicholls

This is an unusual take on the boy meets girl story.

Emma and Dexter meet at their university graduation night on the 15th of July in 1988. They go their separate ways and live separate lives.

The reader dips into their lives every year on the 15th of July and we watch them grow up, get careers, have relationships.

I always enjoy books where you get into the psyche of the main characters and you definitely do that in this book.

The book is not a traditional romance because it deals with growing up, finding your place in the world and the changes in music and media through the years.

It is an interesting idea to focus on one day a year, it is a bit like getting a snapshot of the characters lives. Overall I enjoyed this book but I think if you were a child of the 80's and 90's you would love it because there are lots of cultural references throughout.

Geraldine Whyte.

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-03T10:21:00.000+01:00

The Gargoyle

Andrew Davidson

The Gargoyle opens with a harrowing scene that leaves the nameless narrator physically and mentally damaged it seems beyond repair. Previous to this incident the narrator was handsome, well off but by his own admission morally bankrupt. Now deprived of the looks and the lifestyle he cherished, confined to a hospital bed he believes his life is over.

But the mysterious Marianne Engel walks into his hospital room and with her his despair dims. The most stunning thing is not that she is willing to nurse him but her claim that this will be the third time she has saved his life- the first was in medieval Germany when they were lovers and he was a mercenary.

Andrew Davidson's debut novel is an international best seller and a wonderful read. It slowly draws you in and becomes difficult to put down as the narrator fights for Marianne against what she sees as her destiny. And though it steers clear of the fairy tale ending, this books's redemptive conclusion is filled with optimism and tenderness.

Dympna O'Reilly

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-02T15:32:00.002+01:00

Help

Kathryn Stockett

Having heard this author being interviewed on the radio, I thought she sounded extremely interesting and so I decided to buy the book to bring on holiday. When I arrived home with Help I couldn't resist having a peek. Bad Idea!!!!! I couldn't put it down. Help is one of those fabulous books that while reading it you will literally have to drag yourself away. This book is a gripping page turner. I had to force myself to stop reading it as I did not want the story to end.

The story is told through the voices of three women, Minny, Aibileen, and Miss Skeeter. It is set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960's,during the beginnings of the turbulence of the civil rights movement, where black women were entrusted to raise white children, yet could not use the toilet in the house. White women counted the silver after the maid had polished it, while their maid raised and loved their children.

The relationship between Aibileen and "Baby Girl" Mae Mobley is extremely poignant. Aibileen recovering from the tragic death of her own son pours all her love and tenderness into the little girl,whose mother has no interest in her whatsoever. The frightening part of the maids stories, aside from abuse, and mistreatment, was that after years spent loving their children the white people could dismiss their maids without a second thought.

Kathryn Stockett's idea to share the narration between Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter is a wonderful idea and it is incredible to think that this is the author's first novel.

This book comes highly recommended: an utterly brilliant, compelling read. It would make a ideal bookclub choice.

Needless to say I had to buy another book for my holiday!!

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-09-01T10:33:00.000+01:00

Shantaram

Gregory David Roberts

This is a wonderful, massive, slightly over the top book. What people would call "a thumping good read". The story is based on the author's real life experiences and my god the man has lived enough to ensure that this novel is a sensational read.

I adored this book and often made a complete fool of myself by roaring with irrepressible laughter while reading it in public. I shed a tear or two but thankfully this was in private!!!!

Crime, punishment, passion, loyalty, betrayal amd redemption are only a few of the ingredients in Shantaram. However the outstanding feature for me was the author's love for the city of Bombay and her citizens, and this shines out of his writing.

At the start of the novel we meet a young Australian man arriving in Bombay. Lin is travelling on a false New Zealand passport, and has escaped from an Australian prison.
On his first day in Bombay Lin meets a young Indian tour guide Prabaker.( In my opinion the outstanding character of the book.) Through Prabaker, Lin learns to speak Marathi, lives for six months in a small rural village, and sets up a free medical clinic for the impoverished people living in one of Bombay's shantytowns.

The characters in this novel are all memorable and remarkable, especially Karla, an enigmatic Swiss-American woman, with whom Lin swiftly falls in love, Abel Khader Khan, the head of the Bombay mafia, who becomes a guru and a father like figure to Linbaba, Johnny Cigar, his friend and neighbour in the slums, Lisa, a young prostitute and heroin addict. And of course the previously mentioned Prabaker, whose character literally bounces off the pages and into your heart.

I would recommend this book to anyone. Roberts who wrote the original draft for the book in prison, pours his heart and soul into the writing and it shows. His story is irresistible. Enjoy!!!!

Elaine

2010-08-10T11:25:00.012+01:00

DLR Library Voices: Christos Tsiolkas

DLR Libraries recently hosted a reading and interview with up-and-coming Australian author Christos Tsiolkas in County Hall, Dún Laoghaire. It was a sell-out, and I know many more of you would have loved to attend, but interest in Tsiolkas has become stratospheric since his book The Slap was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2010 on 27th July. Tickets suddenly began to go like hot cakes, so to prevent disappointment in the future, please contact The Pavilion Theatre box office before a Library Voices event, as it now does all the ticketing for DLR Library Voices.

Having just finished The Slap I was intrigued to find out what the author was like. As I'm sure everyone is aware by now, even if you haven't read it, the book has caused all kinds of controversy for its portrayal of today's Australian middle class as foul-mouthed, mercenary, brutish, sexually dissolute, drug-addled....I could go on.

Although I rattled through this novel at a rate of knots, mainly in a desperate quest to find one character I liked, the question that vexed me throughout was; what is the message that Tsiolkas is trying to get across? It certainly has nothing to do with the morality of slapping children, and reads as a "state of the nation" novel. What makes it interesting is it gives a completely alternate view of Australia from the one we're used to; TV soaps like Home and Away, Neighbours, All Saints, etc. have convinced us that Australia is not situated where it is - plumb spang in the middle of Asia - that it's still a British colony peoples exclusively by English/Scots/Irish.

And really I think that's all Tsiolkas is saying; in answer to a question put to him by interviewer John Boyne, he said that what he primarily wanted to convey in The Slap was that London, Edinburgh and Dublin are no longer the centres to which Australians look, it's more and more likely to be Athens, New Delhi, Beirut or Beijing. The most successful characters from a social and monetary point of view are Greek, Indian, Muslim, Jewish and Aborigine - albeit in far too many cases also vain, selfish and violent. The most pathetic characters in the book are Rosie and Gary who are "skips" (Skippy the bush kangaroo), Aussie slang for white Australians of Anglo/Irish/Scots descent, and whose lives are blighted by alcoholism, hippy idealism and by a sense of their own entitlement and envy of their more successful ethnic friends.

Chistos also said he was afraid of writing the female characters, but in my opinion has been far more successful with them that the males. The only happy ending for a book containing Hector, Harry, Gary and particularly the hellish Andrew (Harry's lawyer and a very minor character, whose speech on page 105 of the paperback actually made me feel queasy), would be for a very large bomb to fall on and annihilate the lot of them.

The women on the other hand, for all their faults are recognisable and understandable, particularly Aisha who feels love, lust, repulsion and boredom for the tiresome Hector in almost equal measures, and Anouk whose cathartic rants I can also identify with - even the deluded and needy Rosie rings unfortunately true.

The sheer awfulness of nearly all the males in the novel, which conversely only serves to reinforce the Aussie stereotype, is completely at odds with Tsiolkas in person - he is friendly, gentle and quietly spoken. Perhaps in his zeal to not idealise his Greek characters he went overboard giving them every flaw imaginable. The crudeness of the language and some scenes in the novel has also come in for criticism, but it struck me from talking to people on the subject that tolerance levels vary widely. A married friend of mine had been told that farting featured prominently on the first page of the novel and admitted it had put her off reading it. I rushed to assure her that there was far "worse" in the book, to which she replied bleakly; "There's nothing worse than farting!"

At the end of the day, folks, it's all relative!

Oonagh

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-26T13:04:00.004+01:00

MAGIC UNIVERSE BY NIGEL CALDER.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in a condensed explanation of many topics in cosmology, biotechnology, physics etc.

Each chapter conveys a specific topic,but at the end it shows the links to other chapters which cover further information associated. This greatly eases the task of expanding the information just learned.

So good , that my poor daughter had to brave Ryanair's baggage restrictions to bring home a copy.

Alan Squire

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-26T13:00:00.003+01:00

GRANNY NOTHING BY CATHERINE McPHAIL

I am a seven year old girl.

I think this book is really good and disgusting.

It made me laugh a lot!!!

Justine Ryan age 7

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-26T11:33:00.004+01:00

THE SLAP BY CHRISTOS TSIOLKAS

I was looking forward to reading this book after hearing the author speak. I will also be attending a talk by him under the auspices of DLR LIBRARY VOICES on August the 4th and so was very interested in reading this book. This prize-winning novel has caused a lot of discussion and controversy around the world and from the very first page of writing it is clear why.

The "slap" in the story takes place during a barbecue at Hector and Aisha's home for close friends and family. During the party an extremely spoilt little boy is slapped by an adult for misbehaving. The child is not his own and the ensuing fallout from this act affects the relationships of all those attending the barbecue.

While the controversy surrounding "the slap" underpins the novel, the book is much more than a story about a child being slapped. The story is told by the different characters all giving their version.

To be honest, I struggled in the beginning of this book, finding the first character Hector obnoxious, and on a couple of occasions, I was tempted to abandon the book all together. The starkness and coarseness of the writing was actually giving me a pain in my head. However I persevered and I am glad that I did. I found the book to be extremely thought provoking.

Tsiolkas is an excellent writer. His various characters are all flawed and none of them very likeable. Perhaps the message he conveys is that each of his characters are human, with good and bad traits. Hector, Harry, Anouk, Connie, Rosie, Manolis, Aisha and Richie are all struggling to live their lives, they come across clearly as real people.

While the book leaves a terrible impression especially of Australian men, and for me there were too many swear words, it is a book that once finished you will find yourself trying to answer the questions it posed.

I cannot say that I loved this book, however I will remember it.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-23T15:13:00.005+01:00

The Other Hand By Chris Cleave

I'm not sure I would call this book a summer read, but by virtue of the fact that I read it on holiday in Spain, much of it with my feet in the pool and a drink in my hand, I'm going to include it as such.
I don't know what I expected when it was chosen by my book club-the blurb says something about 2 women meeting on a beach and their lives becoming entwined- so far so ho hum.

From the moment I began to read I realised that ordinary is the last word I would use to describe this book.
The story rattles along from the get-go in a voice that rings utterly true to the end, a rare accomplishment for a writer, particularly as the two alternating narrators in the book are both women, and Chris Cleave is a man.

Little Bee is a refugee from the oil wars in Nigeria - a little known event in that country's history- who fetches up in a refugee detainment centre in England. Upon release she sets about finding the English couple she met on a beach in Nigeria while fleeing two years earlier.
Through the characters of Little Bee and Sara,Cleave exposes the endemic callouness of the Western world towards the suffering of fellow human beings due to no more than an accident of birth.
Cleave never preaches; the miracle of this book is that it's very funny in places, and he treats the middle class, well-meaning Sara and Andrew with understanding and compassion. They are not monsters anymore than Little Bee is a saint. In fact, he seems to be saying that ordinary people have it in them to do extraordinary things once they are forced to confront reality.
Despite the serious nature of this book's theme, I finished it feeling uplifted rather than depressed;the writing is sharp and witty, the characterisation is superb, particularly with some of the supporting cast- Sara's 4 year old son, Little Bee's fellow asylum seekers- and I could barely put the book down until it reached the breathtaking climax.

I had never heard of Chris Cleave before I read this-The Other Hand- was in fact shortlisted for The Costa Prize- now I can't wait to read his first book, Incendiary.

Oonagh

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-16T12:14:00.007+01:00

Solace of the Road By Siobhan O'Dowd.

OLDER TEENS 15+

Memories of her Mam are the only thing that make, 15 year old Holly Hogan happy. Holly hates her life. She resents her foster family and their overcloying sympathy. School is a miserable place and Holly feels that the whole world is against her.

When Holy finds a long blonde wig she feels transformed. No longer is she Holly but Solace, a girl who is not afraid to take on the world.Being Solace gives Holly confidence.

Holly/Solace decides to runaway to Ireland to find her mother.

This is a story of childhood neglect and a bittersweet and sometimes hilarious journey. The journey is well told and Holly's story will leave a great impression.

SiobhanO'Dowd, once again in this novel displays her mastery of the plot. Readers will enjoy this, well written, sometimes painfully truthful story.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-15T18:43:00.004+01:00

Guatanamo Bay By Anna Perera

Older Teens 15+
When fifteen year old English boy, Khalid is on holidays with relatives in Karachi, he is arrested. Khalid is interrogated and tortured before being sent to the infamous Guantanamo Bay.
Anna Perera is quite graphic in her writing about the details of Khalid's physical and emotional torture and the horror of his imprisonment.
However the message that comes across clearly in her novel is that nothing is simply black and white. It is not as clear cut as being good or bad. Us soldiers are not all tarred with the same brush. Everyone imprisoned in Guantanamo is not deemed to be innocent or guilty.
This is an overwhelming story, that is seamlessly paced. Older Teens will find it a rewarding read.
Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-13T13:55:00.006+01:00

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters By

G.W. Dahquist

Borrow this novel and escape to a historical yet fictional city, complete with evil villains, damsels in distress, and three unlikely Heroes! Join Miss Temple, Dr. Svenson, and Cardinal Chang as their individual circumstances force them to search for answers, leading them into the dark underworld of Victorian society to walk among the wicked. Kind Dr. Svenson is trying to protect his Prince from any further drunken humiliation. Fiercely independent and recently dumped, Miss Temple wants the truth behind her fiancees abrupt actions. Professional assassin Cardinal Chang is determined to find out who killed his latest target before he got the chance. Each one's motives are enough to spur them on, but they must work together if they are to defeat the despicable Madame Lacquer-Sforza and her cronies in their attempts at mind control and political domination.

A page turner from the start, this unique and exciting tale was worth telling and well worth the read!

Emma

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-12T12:29:00.009+01:00

THE CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER 2010

This competition was open to any crime short story first published in English.

All but one of this years shortlisted stories were published in Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can't Put Down, edited by Clive Cussler. The exception is a short story from Peter Robinson's collection The Price Of Love.

Here is the shortlist with a brief comment on each short story from the judging panel:

A Calculated Risk By Sean Chercover

Scuba diving takes on a significance on the other side of the law. Subtly and deftly told with a menacing atmosphere.

The Weapon By Jeffrey Deaver

High stakes and lack of time are the order of the day. Shaped by today's headlines it is intriguing, topical and thrilling.

Can You Help Me Out There By Robert Ferrigno

Robert Ferrigno has showcased an ability to mix humour with suspense along with having a knack for creating villains that make you smile even as they send chills down your spine.

Boldt's Broken Angel By Ridley Pearson

With one of the most memorable and compelling opening scenes, Boldt's Broken Angel follows Detective Boldt as he tracks down a twisted serial killer. A modern thriller.

Like a Virgin By Peter Robinson ( from The Price of Love)

A cold case brings back memories of a number of brutal murders and its repercussions. Elegantly written containing many unforgettable images and karma that comes back to haunt you.

Killing Time By Jon Land

Time is the enemy of a professional killer after a murder goes terribly wrong. Gruesome,but an intriguing and thoroughly credible story.

Protecting The Innocent By Simon Wood

A stubborn lovestruck protagonist is not adverse to taking a little risk, but how far would you go for love? A tangled tale with horrific consequences for the love struck characters.

Winner announced July 2010

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-12T10:57:00.004+01:00

Sincere thanks to Jennifer @novelfriends .com for the top 5 most popular reads on http://www.novelfriends.com/ :

The Lovely Bones

Eat Pay Love

Man's Search for Meaning

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Speckled People

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-10T10:02:00.004+01:00

This Body of Death
By Elizabeth George

Having loved all Elizabeth George's previous books a new Inspector Lynley mystery is a propect to be savoured. Unfortunately this one and it pains me to say it, does not come highly recommended. I have discussed this with other huge fans of this wonderful series of novels and all agreed they were unhappy with this book.
After fifteen previous thumping good reads I suppose fans of Elizabeth George's much loved characters can't really complain if the newest edition feels wrong . It is probably not a valid complaint.
In this book we are reunited with Inspector Thomas Lynley, Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. Other characters make welcome returns: Simon St James and his wife Deborah, and Barbara's neighbours Hadiyah and her dad Taymullah Azhar.
Lynley is still grieving the death of his beloved wife Helen and their unborn child. He is persuaded back to Scotland Yard by the new superintendent Isabelle Avery, after a young woman's body is found murdered in a graveyard.
The story is told by different voices and some of the answers become apparent after a couple of chapters.

Fans of this series of detective stories feel that after sixteen books they know the main protaganists and something felt wrong.
If you have never read Elizabeth George this book is not a good place to start. Read any of her other wonderful fifteen and like myself look forward to the next one.
Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-09T12:25:00.007+01:00

The Time Travellers Wife
By Audrey Niffenegger.

I absolutely adored this book, I was completely enthralled by it. I could not put it down and at the same time did not want the story to come to an end.
The book is beautifully written, poignant, and incrdibly moving.
I would recommend it highly.
The story in The Time Traveller's Wife tells the fasinating tale of Claire and Henry. The story recounts their separate viewpoints at different stages in their lives.
It is an original retelling of the age old girl meets boy story and will keep you gripped until its bittersweet ending.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-08T19:01:00.004+01:00

Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea

"Can you be a Twenty-first -century girl and a Saudi girl?"

This is an interesting and though provoking book. It gives the reader glimpses into a world that for most people living in Ireland is an unknown one.

It is funny and witty and very easy to read.

Having read this book the reader comes away with a little better understanding of how young women in Saudi Arabia are living in the Twenty-first century.

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-07T15:13:00.007+01:00

Having adored Pat Conroy's previous novels especially Beach Music and The Prince of Tides , it was with delight I discovered a new Pat Conroy novel. Conroy is a magician on the page and in South of Broad those who cherish his work won't be disappointed.

Set against the sumptuous backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina, SOUTH OF BROAD gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. Leopold Bloom King, our narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. His mother, an ex-nun, is the high school principal and a well-known Joyce scholar. After Leo's older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death, and Leo, lonely and isolated, searches for something to sustain him. Eventually, he finds his answer when he becomes part of a tightly knit group of high school seniors that includes Sheba and Trevor Poe, glamorous twins with an alcoholic mother and a prison-escapee father; hardscrabble mountain runaways Niles and Starla Whitehead; socialite Molly Huger and her boyfriend, Chadworth Rutledge X; and an ever-widening circle whose liaisons will ripple across two decades — from 1960s counterculture through the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
The ties among them endure for years, surviving marriages happy and troubled, unrequited loves and unspoken longings, hard-won successes and devastating breakdowns, and Charleston's dark legacy of racism and class divisions. But the final test of friendship that brings them to San Francisco is something no one is prepared for. SOUTH OF BROAD is Pat Conroy at his finest, a long-awaited work from a great American writer whose passion for life and language knows no bounds.

My one complaint is that the book is too short... there is to much left out about the friends early days, twenty years are skipped over,

However fans of Conroy will love this book and eargerly await the next one

Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-07T13:10:00.005+01:00

Lisa Larkin in the finance department of Library headquarters here in Harbour Square has two books put away for her holidays .

" I have got Pompeii by Robert Harris, because we are going to see the place when we travel to Naples in September".

Lisa's other book that she is saving for her holidays to read is a book by Joshua Ferris called Then We Came to The End.

Lisa's friend Karen recommended this book to Lisa and She has decided to take it on her holidays around Italy.

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-07T12:59:00.006+01:00

More suggested holiday reads by Dunlaoghaire Rathdown Library staff:

Dympna Reilly is off to France next month and her chosen holiday read is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.

Dympna has chosen this as her holiday read
" To guarantee me a French adventure should the holiday or the weather disappoint!"

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-07T10:26:00.006+01:00

Couch Fiction-A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy

Story by Philippa Perry.

Art by Junko Graat ( Palgrave MacMillan,2010)

James is a young successful lawyer who harbours a compulsion that overwhelms his better nature and threatens his career. He is driven to seek out the servives of Pat, an experienced psychotherapist who takes him on as a patient. "Couch Fiction" is a recently published graphic novel where Junko Graat's minimalist, sketchy comic-book art illustrates Philippa Perry's tale of the unfolding relationship between a therapist and her patient.

We are handed a fly-on-wall perspective with which to view their sessions, the graphic art deftly transmitting the character's internal and external worlds-their outward expressions of feeling and silent,inner thoughts. What I found most interesting was how we are made privy to the sleights of hand,measured suggestions and disciplined technique (as well as personal doubts and insecurities) of the professional therapist on one hand contrasted with the confessional soul-searching and emotional struggle experienced by the patient on the other.

Initially reticent,James slowly begins to reveal himself to his therapist, stirring up hitherto repressed memories, feelings and frustrations that fuel the fires of his compulsion. By way of their continued exchange, the inner world of the therapist Pat is also revealed via the clever illustrarion of her private reflections and both emerge transformed by their shared experience.

"Couch Fiction" is a touching,informative and spirited look at the journey of one man's personal rehabilitation and contains some trully fascinating insights on psychoanalytic procedure along the way. Additionally, it's a lucid and great-looking curio to read in one sitting.

Graham Montgomery.

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-06T19:03:00.005+01:00

I decided to ask the staff at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Libraries for suggestions for Summer Reads.

Geraldine Whyte has chosen Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger for her summer holiday read. She chose this because she loved a previous book

by this author the Devil Wears Prada. Geraldine says that Chasing Harry Winston is perfect holiday reading material as

:"It was good, light and easy to read"

For her holiday book Lisa Murphy in Library HQ has picked Maggie O'Farrell's The Hand That First Held Mine. Lisa says "if its as page-turning and poignant as her previous novels then its should be great for my holiday!"

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-06T16:45:00.008+01:00

Other favourite reads from Dun laoghaire book club are

Good behaviour by Molly Keane

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Speckled People by Hugo Hamilton

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-07-06T15:34:00.012+01:00

Big thanks to Paula in Dun Laoghaire Library for sending the most popular book club choices from Dun Laoghaire book club September 2003-July 2010.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

The Curious Incident of the Dog... by Mark Haddon

Strumpet City By James Plunket

Lies of Silence by Brian Moore

Life of Pi by Yann Martell

Dubliners By James Joyce

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-06-22T15:05:00.007+01:00

The Lacuna is a beautifully written book. It is clever, and witty but also painful and warm. Barbara Kingsolver's main protaganist is Harrison Sheperd into whose life we gain an intimate and private look through his diaries and his letters. The book is remarkable because reality meets fiction through the cast of charecters that Harrison meets. The painter Frida Kahlo for example is brought to life with colour and dept. As The Lacuna reaches its conclusion, it is impossible to put down.
I can understand why The Lacuna received the Orange Prize for fiction. The judges described Barbara Kingsolver's novel as: Fiction of a breath taking scale with shattering moments of poignancy!!
Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2010-06-17T17:01:00.004+01:00

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first part of the millennium trilogy written by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. The books were published post- humously after Larsson’s untimely death in 2004. The trilogy have become international best sellers. This is the first volume of the trilogy and after finishing this book I am very much looking forward to the next two. Some incredible thrillers are coming from Scandinavian countries (The Henning Mankell books and the Camilla Lacksberg to name just two) and The Girl with the Dragon is a superb example of a Scandinavian thriller. Not only is the story utterly gripping but also the author captures wonderful glimpse of Swedish life. It is an intelligent thriller and probably one of the best of its kind in recent years.
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder-and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, defiant computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far the family are prepared to go to protect themselves..........
Elaine

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-07-27T12:17:00.004+01:00

What Makes Me, Me? by Robert Winston

The author of this book, Robert Winston, is best known for presenting documentaries about human behaviour. Here, he explores all the different facets of being human, covering everything from chemical components to emotions. The subject matter is conveyed in a lively and engaging manner, and the images used to illustrate the topics are compelling. The reader is encouraged to try personality and intelligence tests.
Have you ever wondered what fear of fish is called, or what drawing a picture of a bicycle can tell about your brain? The book contains the answers to such questions and more. It is a compelling read for anybody over 8 who has ever asked “why do people ….?”

Helen, Dundrum Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-07-27T12:15:00.005+01:00

Ida B:And Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B is a nine year old only-child who lives on farm with her parents and her pets. She has given each apple tree on the family land a name and holds long conversations with them. She is home schooled and finds life “righter than right”. When her mother, also Ida, falls ill with cancer, Ida B finds out how fragile promises can be. She must resume attending public school and some of the farm is sold for building. Ida B feels angry about both these events and resolves to let both her parents and new classmates know how she feels. This is whimsical story, with a central character that has an idiosyncratic way of talking and is an accessible and gentle read for those over 7.

Helen, Dundrum Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-07-27T12:07:00.005+01:00

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Don't let the size of Marcus Sedgwick's book fool you, its comparative slimness packs a punch every bit as powerful as the Colt that gives the story its title. Set in the frozen wastes of Giron in a cabin north of the Arctic Circle in 1910 with flashbacks to ten years earlier, Revolver seizes the reader from the very first line, and doesn't relax its grip until the story's end.
The book tells the tale of Sig Andersson, a teenager alone in the cabin that he shares with his sister, Anna, his father Einar and his fathers second wife, Nadja. Alone, that is except for the frozen corpse of his father, who has fallen through the ice on his way back from the nearest town. Sig is waiting for Anna and Nadja to return with help, but when there's a knock at the door of this remote cabin, miles from any other signs of civilisation, it isn't help that is waiting on the other side, but trouble.
The description of the stranger is chilling, Sedgewick says he is a giant, with a face, not stroked into creation by Gods loving hand, but battered into shape by the Devils hammer.
The writing is sparse and masterful, and the story grips compulsively, once you pick this one up, you'll be unable to put it down. Through the clever use of flashbacks Sig's parents values are imparted to the reader, and their differing viewpoints on life are woven together in the story's climax, when Sig must make a decision that will change his life forever.

Sally Clements

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-07-16T16:45:00.003+01:00

Swimming by Nicola Keegan

Written in the first person, this book tells the story of how a girl (Philomena) who loves to swim tries to survive as her family falls apart. In a riveting voice, Philomena describes her gradual submersion into the world of competitive swimming as a means of escape from the disasters that befall her family. Growing up with a grieving agoraphobic mother, she becomes wholly focused on her life first as part of the local swimming team and then as part of the US National Team. She goes on to amazing success as a swimmer but eventually has to face and come to terms with the past she was trying to escape. Its a riveting and often funny read and the voice of Philomena is completely absorbing. The writing is superb throughout and the book never falters in pace. Interestingly the author was born in Galway but grew up in America. If you like pathos and humour in a story (in a Catcher in the Rye sort of way) you will love this book. Just ignore the gushing acknowledgements page at the back!

Patricia McAdoo

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-07-07T14:34:00.008+01:00

Blood Runs Cold by Alex Barclay

FBI Agent Ren Bryce is hard to love. ”Why can't you just get that I say things I don't mean when I'm drunk?” she berates boyfriend Vincent, in Alex Barclay's crime chiller, Blood Runs Cold. Tormented by her secrets, Ren gives everything to her work as she investigates the murder of a fellow FBI Agent on Quandary Peak, in frozen Colorado.
Murdered Jean's secrets are gradually revealed in a complex plot which twists and turns at breakneck speed and along the way tough and tender Ren's are too. Alex Barclay is the consummate storyteller, and many disparate threads are masterfully woven together to create a compelling read.

Sally Clements

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-05-27T10:37:00.004+01:00

Mad dogs by Robert Muchamore

This is the 8th book in the CHERUB series, and finds 15 year old veteran-spy James Adams returning to the location of an earlier novel, “Class A”. James’s mission starts after one of the other CHERUB agents is stabbed while undercover. James is assigned to infiltrate a Luton based gang, the Mad Dogs of the title. His friend Bruce accompanies him, and their objective is to obtain the information the police need to prevent an all out gang war. Meanwhile back at the CHERUB campus, James’s sister Lauren and a soon-to-be-retired agent, Kyle conspire to exact revenge on the bullying instructor, Mr. Large. The book is action packed, violent, gritty, and realistic, and only suitable for readers over the age of 13.

Helen, Dundrum Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-05-27T10:36:00.004+01:00

Molly Fox’s Birthday by Deirdre Madden

A shimmering glimpse of modern life as seen through the eyes of an Irish playwright; Molly Fox’s Birthday is a meditation on the nature of relationships and self-knowledge. As the anonymous narrator battles with writers block in the borrowed surroundings of her friend Molly Fox’s Dublin home she reflects on friendships and family matters both past and present. Through this reflection she emerges from stasis.

Vita, Deansgrange Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-05-27T10:33:00.005+01:00

The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas

If you knew this book was cursed would you read it? Ariel Manto is graduate student who stumbles across an extremely rare book in a second hand bookshop. The book is called ‘The End of Mr Y’ and is rumoured to be cursed as everyone who’s read it has either disappeared or died. It contains detailed instructions on how to make a homeopathic tincture that allows access to the Troposhere, where it’s possible to travel through space, time and other minds. Will Ariel follow the instructions and if so what will happen? Was it purely chance that she was the one to find the book? This is an ambitious and imaginative novel, a gripping thriller full of ideas exploring philosophy and science. Ariel is an intelligent and spiky heroine, the plot is fascinating and the narrative well paced. A fantastic read, a mystery and a love story containing elements of fantasy and sci-fi.

Jessica, Stillorgan Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-05-27T10:29:00.005+01:00

Bad day in Blackrock by Kevin Power

'Bad Day in Blackrock' is the debut novel by Dubliner Kevin Power, dealing with the events preceding, and repercussions following, the death of a private school student at the hands of his peers, it is a powerful portrayal of the dark side of Irish modernity. These young men come from wealthy families, their future assured, and their present a tapestry of excess - parties, sex and rugby being their main focus in life. Despite this they are portrayed in an empathetic manner, their tragedy as moving as any hero of literature. Drawing us into their world yet reserving judgement, Power weaves a deeply affecting tale of lives torn asunder in the aftermath of tragedy. Like all great novelists, Power uses an emotive personal tale to discuss society as a whole, his characters indicative of many young people in Irish society. 'Bad Day in Blackrock' is more than simply a crime novel, it is an exploration of the hidden world of the rich and a portrait of Ireland at the peak of the boom.

James, Dún Laoghaire Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-05-07T16:08:00.009+01:00

The Suspicions of Mr.Whicher, or the Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale

This true-life macabre tale takes place in 1860, in the village of Road, Wiltshire, involving a well-to-do family, the occupants of Road Hill House. A brutal murder serves to shatter the Victorian ideals of reserve and privacy, when the family are held under intense media and public scrutiny. The bungling of the local police force, and demands from Parliament that the case be solved, herald the arrival of the most famous detective of the era - Scotland Yard's Jonathan Whicher, who causes a public uproar with his views on who committed the offence. Interestingly, Whicher and his methods of detection, proved inspirational for the birth of crime fiction and for authors such as Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins.
An absorbing book, extremely well researched, with an intense narrative drive, it will keep you reading for hours at a time. Highly recommended.

Jonathan, Cabinteely Library

DLR LIBRARY BLOG

2009-05-07T16:05:00.005+01:00

Q & A by Vikas Swarup

I read this book before it was even a twinkle in Danny Boyle’s eye and I still haven’t seen the film, so I’m writing this review untainted by Oscar mania.
I approached it with trepidation as it seemed to have all the elements usually guaranteed to make me hate a book – all injustice, hardship and abject poverty. But even though it has its fair share of those, it’s curiously un-harrowing. Maybe it’s the device of constructing the story around a well-known quiz show, explaining how the “slumdog” hero is able to answer all 10 questions to win the prize by relating them to events in his past, or maybe it’s the fact that each story reads almost like a child’s fable, but you don’t finish this book wanting to head straight for the gas oven. Yes, it deals with the underbelly of Indian society, and Swarup throws everything into it bar the kitchen sink (there’s even a Bollywood theme in there somewhere), and some might find the quiz show device over-clever, but all in all it’s a rattling good read, and how many books set among the street kids of modern India can you say that about?

Oonagh, Blackrock Library