Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline is a book by Rainbow Rowell, first published in 2014 by Orion Books.

TV comedy writer Georgie McCool can't actually visit the past. But she can call it.

The fact that she has a magic phone that enables her to talk to the 1998 version of her husband must be fate, right?

But why does she suddenly have access to this wonder? What does it all mean?

♥

"You're Neal, right?"

He didn't look up again. "Right."

"I'm Georgie."

"Are you?"

"Sorry?"

"Are you really?" He asked.

"Um, yes?"

He nodded. "I thought it was a pen name. Georgie McCool. Sounds like a pen name."

"You know my name?"

Nail finally looked up at her. With round blue eyes and practically his whole head. "Your photos in The Spoon," he said.

♥

Rainbow. Rainbow. Rainbow.

I don't even know what to say. How to describe this book.

Only Rainbow Rowell could write this one. It was...magic. Pure magic.

It's been a while since I've been so blown away by words. I'm actually shaking my head as I'm writing this.

The concept of Landline is so simple, but the way it's carried out has so much meaning.

I've always said that the way Rainbow writes has so much meaning, but I've never meant it this much. It was just so original. So different, so perfect.

I feel like words can't even explain how I feel about Landline. I feel so deeply emotionally connected with it. I cried at the end. Not for sadness, but for a specific young couple on page 335. Because I'm in a long distance relationship. I know how that feels.

But page 335-337 wasn't the only time I cried. I cried at the dedication at the start. I have to share this one, because even that carried so much meaning.

"This book is for Kai.
(Everything that matters is)"

Reading Landline felt warm and comfortable. Like a pillow and comforter cocoon. It felt safe. 

This one blew my mind. It was one of those books, you know? One of the ones you'd save in a fire.

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥

Review: Mortlock by Jon Mayhew

Mortlock is a book by Jon Mayhew, first published in 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Josie is a knife thrower at her local theatre. 

Alfie is an undertaker’s assistant. 

They have lived separate lives for many years, with no knowledge of the other. 

But now, a past intertwined with death and mystery will bring them together like they would never have believed. 

♥

'Something's wrong. It has been for years.' Josie felt the colour rising in her cheeks. 'I'm not a child any more. Tell me.'

'Get to your room!' Cardamom roared, snatching up his glass and throwing it to the floor. Josie leapt back as slivers of glass flew through the air. Broken shards of glass at her feet reflected back the golden flicker from the stove. The doorbell rang. 

Cardamom shot a warning glance at Josie. Then he pointed a shaking finger in the direction of the front door.

'Answer it,' he said, his voice tight with tension.

Josie gathered her skirts and ran out into the hall. She dragged the back of her hand across her cheeks, pushing back stray locks of hair from her temples. Calm down, she told herself. Compose yourself. Then she grasped the heavy brass handle and heaved open the door.

♥

I was lucky enough to pick up this book free with a pile of others a few months ago, and this one I had put off for quite a while. 

Horror, thrillers and adventure-mysteries aren’t really my scene. I’ve always been a romance, contemporary and chick lit kind of girl. I used to read a few mystery books when I was a kid, but never really anything this dark. 

I was truly expecting to hate this one, just the thought of reading it made me squirm, and even when I had started reading, I kept putting off the next page or chapter. 

But I really shouldn’t have judged it. As they say, you can never judge a book by its cover, and here, that saying is spot on. I have to say, I’m a sucker for finding beautiful covers and wanting to read the book, and I did the same with this one – judged the actual content by the cover.

This book opened my eyes to see a whole host of books that I have dismissed due to their genre or covers...in the end it really taught me a whole lot of stuff that I had never even thought about. 

I suppose, what I’m trying to say, is this book was really good. I felt myself being sucked in every time I started reading, even if there was other people in the room talking or watching TV. With some books, I can only read in complete silence. Also, even though I struggled with other books of different genres, *cough* Northern Lights *cough* this proved to me that I’m different than I thought. I thought I struggled reading things that are not physically possible in our real world. But a lot happened in Mortlock that easily falls into that category, and I still loved it. 

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥

Review: The Land as Viewed from the Sea by Richard Collins

 

 The Land as Viewed from the Sea is a book by Richard Collins, first published in 2004.

John is a city dweller and countryside lover. He travels to the countryside to work for his friend as a farm laborer for the summer. While he is there, he writes a novel. His friend and employer reads this novel, The Land as Viewed from the Sea. John continually claims his work his completely fiction...

...But is it possible for fiction to mix with reality? 

♥

He waits for her to look back and wave but she goes with the men up to the fire. He watches for a while expecting her to take photographs. He can see figures around a fire, the glow of cigarettes, and two tents. And perhaps her profile, head tilted back, drinking from a wine bottle. 

She doesn't come back to the flat until the early hours of the morning and sets the dogs barking. He hasn't slept. He wants to hear some words of apology, something like, "I'm sorry if I worried you. Thank you for letting me be me."

But she collapses onto the other bed in silence. She smells strongly of drink. Later he awakes to the sound of her throwing up in the wash-basin. 

Julian and I are hoeing weeds out of a crop of leeks on a long slope up the curve of the hill. The rows stretch up the slope and disappear over the near horizon. He works faster than I do and we only speak momentarily when he comes down the hill to start on a new row. 

♥

This book is probably one of the most unpopular I've read, which actually made me want to read it even more. And the beautiful cover just lured me in, along with the fact that it's set in rural Wales, near where I am currently staying. 

But, I have to say, I was disappointed with this one. I don't know if I'm just criticizing books more than I used to, or it's just me being a sucker for happy endings and romances working out in the end, but I just...really didn't like the ending. 

Also, I just found it all pretty confusing. It's hard to explain, but this book is about a book inside a book. The current day is intertwined with the novel the main character is writing, and it can actually be really hard to read sometimes. I think it would have made a lot more sense to put the novel John is writing in italics, to separate the text a bit more. 

But I found the end of the book quite hard to follow too. Maybe it's just me, but I just didn't enjoy the ending. It really ruined the book for me.

To end this review on a good note, I really like the idea of the story (it was actually really clever), just maybe not the way it was carried out. Also, I loved the writing. Richard Collins is an amazing author, and he actually writes really well, and poetically. 

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥

Review: Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman

Northern Lights is a book by Phillip Pullman, first published in 1995 by Scholastic UK Ltd.

Lyra and her animal daemon live carefree in the grounds of Jordan College, Oxford. She has never known anything outside Oxford, until one day, she is taken on the journey of a lifetime.

Her destiny takes her on a dangerous and mysterious journey to the frozen North in search of her kidnapped friend.

It is a journey that will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world...

♥

The next picture was also taken at night, but this time without moonlight. It showed a small group of tents in the foreground, dimly outlined against the low horizon, and beside them an untidy heap of wooden boxes and a sledge. But the main interest of the picture lay in the sky. Streams and veils of light hung like curtains, looped and festooned on the invisible hooks hundreds of miles high and blowing out sideways in the stream of some unimaginable wind.
"What is that?" said the voice of the Sub-Rector.

"It's a picture of the Aurora."

"It's a very fine photogram," said the Palmerian Professor. "One of the best I've seen."

"Forgive my ignorance," said the shaky voice of the old Precentor, "but if I ever knew what the Aurora was, I have forgotten. Is it what they call the Northern Lights?"

♥

As you know, it took me ages to read this one. It actually feels strange to finally write another review. Sorry about that.

Anyway, the beginning of this book I found boring, but only because I'm not used to this genre. And I truly find it hard to read books that are set in 'other worlds' or with 'other worldly' suggestions. I have to say, the beginning and middle of the book I found really hard going. I didn't have any sort of desire to read. Which I know is bad, but it just didn't get me. 

But after I hit the middle, this book really made me want to carry on. It's mysterious and full of wonder, and I can easily see now exactly why this book is bestselling and award winning, it truly deserves it. 

So, from the start to the finish, I never gave up-as I want to read every single book I own. No matter what. 

And, Phillip Pullman, you are an extraordinary writer. And at the end, you made me want to read more.

I'm still not sure if I'll purchase His Dark Materials 2, but I have to say, I'm really considering it.

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥

Review: Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy

Angel Cake is a book by Cathy Cassidy, first published in 2009 by The Penguin Group.

Anya dreamed of moving to Britain...to be with her dad and start a brand-new adventure of her own.

But when her wish finally comes true, Anya's life starts to fall apart. She has no friends, and when she finds one, he's a devil hidden under angel wings.

However...maybe things are better than they seem?

♥

The dark, scowly frown fades from Dan's face and he sighs heavily, shoulders slumped. Now he doesn't look angry so much as lost, a sad-eyed boy in wet angel wings with all the cares of the world on his shoulders. He looks at me sideways. 

'Don't know why I'm telling you all this,' he says. 'You don't even know what I'm saying, do you? Not all of it anyway. Just as well. I'm not much of an angel, that's for sure. 

I want to tell Dan that I understand a lot more than he thinks, but I can't find the words, so I just smile. Dan smiles back, his brown eyes shining, and then, before I can even see it coming, he leans across and kisses me softly.

I have never been kissed before.

♥

Even though I have read this book possibly even 10 times, I still love it now! I got through it so quickly once I had the time to read it...and I couldn't believe how well I knew some things, and forgot others.

It might just be me, but I truly think this book is the most touching and heartwarming of Cathy Cassidy's, and her talent for writing really shines through in it! The way she writes about young love is much deeper than that...more beautiful. And full of understanding.

If you want to discover her talent, this would be a great book to read!

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥

Review: Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy

 

(Apologies for the bad picture quality)

Scarlett is a book by Cathy Cassidy, first published in 2006 by Puffin Books.

Scarlett's middle name is trouble. 

Since her dad left a couple of years ago, she has been in and out of several schools and houses. She has never had anyone who believes in who she really is. Who hasn't looked at her and seen her as a real person, not a troublemaker. 

She stopped wishing years ago...when all of her wishes fell apart.

But can they still come true? 

♥
Trouble is, what I want isn't top of anybody's list right now. 

'Scarlett, please,' Clare says, biting her lip. 'We're worried about you - we just want to help.'

I can't answer her. I want to scream, but I'm terrified that all I have left in me is a whimper.

'Count to ten, Scarlett.' Clare says quietly. 'And breathe, OK? Calm down!'

I take a couple of deep breaths in, but I don't feel calm. I may never feel calm again. 

'I'm not crazy!' I say.

'I know that, Scarlett.

'Do you?'

'Yes, I do.'

'So stop threatening me with counsellors and give me a chance,' I say with a shaky voice. 'Listen to me. Believe in me!'

We sit in silence on the edge of the bed. Whole minutes tick by, and then, finally, Clare speaks.

'I will,' she says. 'I do.'

♥

I have to say, I didn't enjoy Sundae Girl that much. But I gave Scarlett a chance nonetheless. It's another one I loved when I was a little younger, and I still really love it now, actually.

It's really heartwarming, I found. And a lot more touching than I found Sundae Girl. I love the sparks of imagination Cathy clearly has, and her talent is evident in her writing. The only thing I found was the writing of Holly, who is meant to be 9, seems to be ahead of her years. It might just be me, but I found her pretty mature.

If you're 9-12 years old, and liked Jacqueline Wilson as a kid, you'll probably love this book! 

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥