The Scottish Prisoner

It's been a while since I've done a review and I actually finished this book last month - I'm just getting around to reviewing it now!

For those of you who know, I am a big Diana Gabaldon fan and any of the Outlander books are a delight for me to read. I wasn't sure how I would go with The Scottish Prisoner though, because technically it is a Lord John book and although I love Lord John I wasn't expecting what I got in The Scottish Prisoner.

Gabaldon has, for the first time that I am aware, incorporated a fair amount of magic and superstition in this book. Of course magic exists in the other books, what with Claire travelling back in time and all, but the way in which she dealt with it in this book was really very nice.

Based on the premise that the Stuart cause could make yet another comeback, this time in Ireland, Lord John and Jamie Fraser head there to find out what is going on. This coincides happily with a military case that Lord John and his brother Hal (the quintessential officer and gentleman) are investigating. The two cases turn out to be linked and Gabaldon, as always, weaves a story that is believable yet is also a joy to read.

The Druid cup is said to contain powers that will help reunite all those wishing to rebel from the English monarchy (in this book that is predominantly the Irish as the Scottish are still suffering greatly from their failed rebellion) and Jamie Fraser has some rather mystical experiences with the cup. But knowing, as he does, the future he knows there is no hope for the Stuart cause.

It was really nice to have Jamie back and although I missed Claire it was a nice book that explored the complex and intricate relationship between Jamie and Lord John. It was definitely worth the read, and even better, was a nice thick size more akin to the other Outlander books than the Lord John series.

If you're interested in Outlander then you'll enjoy this book, and even if you have no experience with that series this book would stand alone rather well regardless. Read it if you love historical fiction, dabbles in magic, great humour and 18th century England.

Coastliners

Via

I just finished reading Coastliners by Joanne Harris. I'm a fan of some of her other books (including Five Quarters of the Orange but more so Blackberry Wine) and when I read the blurb for this one online I was intrigued. The story reminded me a bit of Pepper Ridge Lane (which, by the way, still lives :) and I wanted to see how Harris dealt with some of the same issues.

On reading the book however I found that it was actually quite different to Pepper Ridge. And I was glad for it. Normally I tend to stay away from books similar to my own ideas, but I really loved Blackberry Wine so much I wanted to give this a try.

I suppose the main difference between Pepper Ridge and Coastliners is the simple fact that Coastliners is set on a small, isolated island. The community there are generations-old, their history is complex and intertwined and their issues are very locale relevant. With Pepper Ridge the township of Mount Houser is much newer as are its occupants. Yet I suppose there are some overlapping themes in that there is both a girl returning home, with little idea of what to expect and finding herself faced with a changing community and the threat of encroaching development. So, yeah in that respect, similar. But otherwise the characters, themes and setting are all quite different.

I enjoyed this book, though I found it quite long. There were however some excellent twists and turns that made me both cringe and sigh in relief! I like that :)

The sad thing about this book is the common theme that it holds to many disappearing villages all around the world. Globalisation has brought many good things, yet the loss of these small places as their young people leave to find jobs in big cities may not be one of them.

If you like stories of personal accomplish, communities coming together in the face of a common enemy and some good humour thrown in then I'm sure you'd enjoy Coastliners.

Reviews-Day Tuesday

Okay so technically today is Friday, but "Reviews-Day Friday" just didn't have the same ring to it and I couldn't be bothered waiting til next week to write this post.

It has been a while since I have reviewed or discussed any of the books that I've been reading so this post may get a bit long as I try and cover just what has been passing these eyes over the last few weeks.

Recently I was reading Diana Gabaldon's blog and came across a really great post called How do you Read? In it, Diana addresses the all important issue of reading. And how, where, and when she gets the time to read. And I have to say, I'm pretty darn impressed. I thought I was good sneaking in pages (rarely chapters) when the kids are actually playing nicely together, while I'm cooking breakfast, or feeding the kids their lunch. But Diana...let's just say I haven't progressed to doing it while brushing my teeth!! What a hero!! No wonder her books are so totally excellent!

So, what's been on my agenda lately?

The one that I have been wanting to blog about for a while was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Not only is this brilliant, talented and funny writer Australia, apparently (according to my friend Jenny) he's also a bit of a cutie. Not that that bares any weight at all on his writing, I just thought I'd mention it. In case you were wondering. Now you know.

Set in Nazi Germany this story is told from the perspective of Death, a sentient and rather compassionate being who has massively strong and caring arms with which to sweep up the millions of souls that die on his watch.

The story deals with a young girl's (Leisel Meminger) experience during the war. She is fostered into a home after her younger brother dies. Her foster parents are the most complex yet sweet-hearted characters I have read in a long time. And I can just picture Hans Hubermann's (her foster father) crinkly silver eyes.

Anyway, as the title indicates Leisel becomes, quite by accident, a book thief. After discovering a book at the grave of her younger brother, The Gravedigger's Handbook, she slowly yet enthusiastically develops a love for the written word. At a time when many books were condemned to the pyre, she, with the help of her touchingly loyal friend Rudy, acquires a variety of books to help fulfill her curious and intelligent mind.

The theme of World War 2 Germany is not a new one, yet I absolutely loved the way Zusak created it in The Book Thief. It was fresh and original and a delightfully inspiring read. This book stayed by my side - in the rumpus room, the kitchen and the bedside table. Couldn't leave it alone. (Much to the poor Captain's dismay.)

Next on my list is a return to an old favourite writer, Italo Calvino. I first met (in the literary sense) Calvino during my studies of Italian at Sydney University, 104 years ago.

To say that I didn't quite get him in Italian would be an understatement but I fell in love with him in English. I have just borrowed Invisible Cities from the library and it blows me away.


This short story is actually a clever collection of descriptions of cities, given by the explorer Marco Polo to the great Kublai Khan. The reader learns, though, that he is actually just describing the one city to the Chinese ruler. The incomparable Venice.


With superlative imagery and adjectives, Calvino is a master at creating the scene, without being repetitive or boring. I look forward to finishing this book, just so I can read it again and discover what I've missed!! This one lives in the rumpus room, because with it's singular page chapters, I'm sure to get a few good chapters in each day!!

La Bella Figura by Beppe Severgnini was originally borrowed as research for my story (which I have yet to detail on here - sorry!) but turned out to be such a funny account of "the Italian mind" that I ended up reading it just for the humour!


If you are planning to travel to Italy or you are interested in the Italian way of life, or the people, or their food, or their art or architecture, please read this book. That's all I'm going to say on that. It beats The Lonely Planet guide by a million. (How's that for an eloquent review?!)

I have also started re-reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon because I actually read this book first (even though it's number 6 in the series!) without realising! So now that I've read the other seven I'm going back to my beginning to discover all the wonderful things I missed out on the first time!!

There are a couple of other books that I'm currently coasting, but I won't go into them just yet.

I hope you're all reading something (even if it just this blog once in a blue moon!!) and please share...

What are you reading now? Or what have you just finished that was really worthwhile??

Ciao xox

Victorian Vignettes

It all started a few weeks, or maybe months ago when I went to the doctor. In the waiting room I discovered they have a book shelf where you can borrow a book and return it next time you come there. They all looked fairly new (our doctor's surgery only opened up this year) and not too germ-infested so I took one home. It was The Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt.

As you can probably guess it was about the mummies of Ancient Egypt. However, it was set in Victorian England. And thus, it was the beginning of my new relationship with Victorian England literature and culture. I have taught Victorian History once before and I must say I'm ashamed to admit it now, but I found the whole thing a bit of a snooze (can't imagine my students were that inspired either!!), but now I'm loving it! I wish I could go back and teach it all again - how different it would be!

So after I finished the Kings I started reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. If you haven't read this book, then you should.
Really. Source: Amazon(And I purposely chose the DVD cover instead of the book because I'm unashamedly in love with Colin Firth. Don't tell the Captain).

Definitely.
Absolutely.

I read somewhere that you become smarter if you read Jane Austen and that is so like, totally, far-out for real! The language may seem like a deterrent, especially if you're used to more candy pop-fiction with contemporary lingo (à la Oscar Wao), but once you get started it's fantastic! And so witty, I had no idea (sorry if I'm sounding like a literary nitwit at this point, but I'm being honest!) What I also didn't realise (again, another nitwit alert -stop reading now if you're already offended by my Austen autism) is that Bridget Jones is so totally based on this story. I knew that Sense and Sensibility and Clueless shared the same storyline, but didn't realise it with this one. Right down to the stuck-up, yet misunderstood Mr Darcy (and Colin Firth of course!)

After I finished Pride and Prejudice, I started on Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Now this one I had read before, but many moons ago (back when it was compulsory HSC reading).

(Again with the DVD cover because I have a thing for Timothy Dalton - truly the best Heathcliff in my mind :)

Source: Amazon

Wuthering Heights is not the same style as Pride and Prejudice which is more witty and flippant in tone. Wuthering Heights is much more tragic and the writing reflects that. If you're not sure of the story I suggest you download Kate Bush's rendition. Man that song says it all...

Heathcliff, it's me Cathy, I've come home....

My Victorian tastebuds were tickled. So we borrowed The Wolfman. We thought that with a cast like Benicio del Toro (yum!), Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving it was going to be a sure hit.

Source: Amazon

It wasn't.

I mean, it was easy to watch and had all the dark, stereotypical imagery of Victorian England but totally lacked in engaging dialogue and intriguing plot development. Very predictable, not all that great.

Finally our sojourn into the 19th century ended with another movie: Sherlock Holmes.
Source: Amazon

Brilliant.

Absolutely fantastic.

Totally made up for the disappointment that was Wolfman. The acting, the humour, and the settings were all spot on. Can't wait to read the books now.

Anyway, I've been so inspired by this little bit of Victorian culture (more or less :) that I've decided to do a history post on it.

Coming soon....


Kirsty x

Summer Reading Review

Summer, I hope, is trying to come to an end (or at least the 40 degree days are abating for now) and my husband, a teacher, has headed back to school, as have the kids next door. The return of school is usually a signal for the end of summer here, although February is often the hottest month!

Anyway, I'm going on the premise that summer is coming to an end, at least our lazy, hazy days of summer are. Which is fine by me - I already feel like I have a hot water bottle strapped to my belly full time!!! Bring on Autumn I say!!!

So let's have a look at some books that I've read over the summer holidays.




The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

As an historical fiction writer (or should I say aspiring writer!!) I enjoyed reading Brown's previous book, Angels and Demons. I found it suspenseful and purposefully written. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing about The Lost Symbol. I found this one rather contrived and painstakingly written. What I mean is that the story seemed to be too forced and often bordered on, well, boring. I'm sorry to say it but I really didn't enjoy this book. I did like the information on the Masons and the historical underpinnings of Washington D.C. but then I could always have read about that on Wikipedia or in a history book. The writing was wordy and the plot too manufactured for my taste. I like a bit more subtlety in my books.



Which leads me to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th books I read this summer. These ones were incredibly hard to put down and absolutely inspiring to read - as mentioned in my last post I've taken a real liking to crime fiction and I think a lot of that is due to these books.



Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy (consisting of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire,and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)





Set in Stockholm, Sweden in the present day (more or less) these books offered a different and very exciting heroine. Lisbeth Salander was one awesome chick. I loved that Larsson made her so strong yet so vulnerable at the same time. She was exactly the kind of heroine I love to read about, but which, sadly, are rare. Her story is intertwined with that of journalist Mikael Blomkvist. For a philandering journalist, he wasn't half bad a character either. Their relationship was a very delicate, complicated one and it continued to develop, albeit rather stuntedly, through out the three books. This, clearly, was part of Larsson's plan. The three plots are not quite connected, there are different villains and different mysteries to be solved in all three books but the connection between them, i.e. the characters and the setting, is a brilliant manouever. Apparently there is already a film made of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which I'm really looking forward to seeing. Totally recommending this series to anyone who is interested in crime fiction, or even just really good fiction. It's also nice to have a more exotic background (i.e. Sweden) for a novel instead of the usual environs.



There were a couple of others that I read, some history, non-fiction ones that I'll review later. Right now I've got a hankering for some burritos!!

Adios, KV-ettes


Kirsty x

Last Minute Madness

Well folks, the last weekend before Christmas has suddenly flown by. It's now only FOUR sleeps til Christmas day! I hope your weekend wasn't as hectic as mine!

Friday was a wonderful day. My husband X and I got out of the house and went to the movies. X's mother minded N for us, which was nice and we got some time to spend together before the rush of this week.

What did we see, you ask? Well, believe it or not we saw New Moon, which is the second movie in the Twilight series.

It was really good. I'm a big fan of the first one and I've read all the books, so it was so exciting to finally get to see this one and at the movies too. The books aren't, in my humble opinion, quality literature, but they're easy to read and fairly lighthearted. The movies are the same, plus I LOVE the scenery. Living back in Canberra I live in a perennial brownness of dirt and dry grass so all that lush greenery is like heaven to me. In fact, here's a pic I took of some rosellas outside eating near N's new playgym. Check out the poor grass!!

The weather on the weekend was quite nice but this week we're heading back up into the 30s again, so looks like the grass will have to suffer longer still.

I must admit though that I really don't mind it. I love looking out at my new, big backyard and seeing the rich, earthy browns and greens of the country and the gum trees. It's different to Sydney but it still feels homey to me. As well as the rosellas we've been getting lots of visits from some cockatoos and galahs, which N absolutely loves to chase!

Saturday we had a nice, albeit late, visit from X's brother and wife and they're three kids. They live just outside of Canberra but are moving in the next week, so we'll miss them lots! N loved having his big cousins over to play with (they're 12, 10 and almost 8) and they adored playing with him too. When it was time for bed he was so hyped that it took him a while to settle down.

Yesterday we hit the shops for some last minute shopping. I realised I still had quite a few pressies to buy so my plan was to stick it out until everyone was done (normally I get tired, frustrated, annoyed etc) after half an hour and call it quits (hence the last minute need for shopping). Thankfully we weren't at the mall too long before we finished up and were able to go to one of my favourite, last minute shopping stops: a pottery gallery in Pialligo called Bison. Check out their gorgeous craft here

So all in all a pretty busy and fun weekend! N is still settling into the whole new house routine and isn't sleeping too well. Any tips on how to get a 22 month old to sleep through the night would be greatly appreciated!

Last night was particularly fruitful in terms of working on the new book. It's set around this area, around Christmas time too, so I just have to look out my window, or close my eyes and smell the air and I'm hit with inspiration. I've been doing lots of research for it, particularly on the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. I've been reading a really insightful and enjoyable (in terms of good writing, not necessarily content) book called Amedeo: The True Story of an Italian's War in Abyssinia by Sebastian O'Kelly.

It was given to me as a part graduation/part farewell present when I left work at the University of Wollongong after I graduated and it's sat on my bookshelf for SIX YEARS!!! can you believe! Then when I had the idea for this book I pulled it out and it's really good. The imagery is incredibly vivid and O'Kelly introduces the story in an almost fictional manner. You can get it here if you're interested.


If you're wondering who would win a showdown between me and an obstinate sewing maching, you'd be forgiven for betting on the sewing machine. But I too can be stubborn and obstinate!! It took A LOT of frustration and mock swearing, but this morning I finally got my act together and finished making N's Christmas sack. It was an idea I had about a month ago, got really excited and bought all the material and then did nothing with it!! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

And there's a drawstring at the top, so you can pull it tight like a sack!! (I thought the whole stocking concept was a bit too complicated for my amateur sewing skills!!)

Then last but not least we had the 20 week ultrasound today. The baby seems to be doing fine although the sonographer was a bit concerned about the due date. I told her not to worry, it was probably just another big baby!! And if you want to know what it is we're having, you'll just have to wait til May!!!!

Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, KV-ettes!! This is probably my last entry before C-day, because we've got friends coming to visit tomorrow, then another dr appointment on Wednesday and then it's Christmas Eve!

Have a safe and happy one!!

Bacci xoxoxo

The Twisted Path of the Historian at Dawn

Well, it's not dawn. In fact, it's almost noon. But the "dawn" in the title of this post is symbolic, metaphorical if you will. It refers to the inception of a new novel, or new direction of research. It also, in this very coincidental twist of fate, refers to one of the books that I have recently read.


I said a few posts ago that I would like to do a post to the women writers who have inspired me. This isn't it. This is, however (and in another coincidental twist of fate) a quick look at some of the books that I have recently read - all Historical Fiction - that have moved me, or inspired me but they are certainly not the definitive list.


The first one is "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova.







Now this book came out in 2005, so I'm a bit behind the times. Not that this is a review, there are plenty of those online. What I'd like to say about this book is more of a note, or two. Kostova writes in a very academic, and not always reader friendly way. At times it seems like a labour of love to work through it - especially toward the end, when it, unfortunately does seem to drag on. But the amount of historical research that goes into this book (and I hear from a reliable source that it is all accurate) is impressive. The story is based around the idea that Count Dracula, or Vlad the Impaler, is still alive. But this is written is such an intense and historically rich manner that it is so much more than simply another vampire story.

The second book that I want to mention is called "The Twisted Heart" by Rebecca Gowers.

Unlike "The Historian" this book came out only this year. Yea for me! It's hard to say what I thought of this book. It was interesting and certainly VERY different to most books that I have read but there was something about the characters that got to me - and if this was Gowers intent then brava to her. Anyway, Gowers was very clever in combining an historical "literary mystery" with a "modern day love story." In fact I really liked this idea and I must admit it was the inspiration for the second novel that I started writing. In Orpheus Olivia travels back in time but I think (and yes I have gone back to this original idea :) ) that this is a niche market. People need to connect with things that are real. And as all good historians know, history is not just about facts and dates, but also how its effects linger in our souls and more importantly in the collective memory of a society.

Anyway, back to "The Twisted Heart," if you're interested in Dickens and some of the more grisly aspects of Victorian England (think viciously murdered prostitutes) then this is the book for you.

Last but not least, is a book called "Death at Dawn" by Caro Peacock.

Apparently this is the first in a line of books based on the character, a Victorian heroine-cum-detective, Liberty Lane. This book is set in Victorian England, during the early days actually of "Little Vicky's" reign. The historical details aren't quite as rich as Kostova's "Historian" but that in a sense makes it a much more readable book. This is not a love story, it's a murder mystery and I found it very entertaining and really appreciated the way Peacock wove in the historical significant details (like the dandy writer Disraeli at the banquet) in a subtle yet confident manner.

It's a hard thing when writing historical fiction, especially if you want to include an actual figure from history. But Peacock did it well, and I enjoyed reading it. Not sure if I'll delve into the following Liberty Lane books, but as it's such an easy and delightful read, I may as well :)

So, in case you are still reading and you're wondering about KV's own novels here's the latest. I have started re-writing the beginning of Finding Orpheus, changing the character of Olivia slightly, but have decided to stick with the time travel for the time being. What can I say? I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.

It seems only fitting then that the next book on my reading list should be "The Time Traveller's Wife". I'll let you know how that one goes (hopefully before the movie comes out later this year).

And as for the second novel, well it's been put on the shelf for the moment but the ideas and the plan are there. It's too confusing for me to write two at once and I'm finding that I'm just not writing either and avoiding the whole thing altogether! So, I'm getting back on track with Orpheus and the second one will just have to wait.

Oh, and before I go there is one other lady I'd like to recognise. Miss Snark. Now, as some dedicated writers out there may know, Miss Snark is sadly no longer with us in blog land (and even more sadly I found her site about three years too late!) But the good thing is she has left her blog online, perfectly preserved like a 21st century version of Tutankhamun's mummy. So, who is she? Well Miss Snark is/was a literary agent who offered advise, FOR FREE, to aspiring writers. Now, there are still heaps of benefits for a young writer, such as myself, to go to her site. She has advise on synopses (and honestly if you don't know the plural of synopsis should you even be a writer???), cover letters, first pages etc. Just check down her side column bar under Crapometer. It's great, a very entertaining read, but also very useful if you take it seriously.

So, for her contributions to the world of writing I have added her here and also to my own list of writer's resources. Enjoy reading her - she's a hoot!!

Ciao for now... xx