Book 51 of the 50 Book Challenge

More Cat Tales from Moon Cottage by Marilyn Edwards, 282 pages

Started June 30th, finished July 29th

As the first book in this series was a perfect titbit book I opted for more.  It is just as says on the cover more tales about the author's cats.  If you're a cat lover you'll recognise plenty in this book.  If you're not a cat lover it's probably not for you.

I enjoyed reading it and I've ordered the next in the series.  There's not much to say other than what the title describes.  It's a quick, fun read.  I'm unsure I'll read it again but I'm glad to have discovered the series.

3.5 out of 5 pawprints

Total, Books - 51, Pages - 14,973 Just short of 15,000!

Next - No Off Switch by Andy Kershaw

Book 50 of the 50 Book Challenge

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré, 359 pages

Started July 6th, finished July 18th.

This read was brought on by the impending film adaptation.  I've long been meaning to watch the TV serial from the 70's.  As I'm one of 'those people' I needed to read the book first. 

I'm glad I have read the book before watching it.  I'm sure it's easier to grasp the beginnings of the tale in book form.  Learning who's who and from which department they're from.  Along with whether they are currently in favour or not.

The book gives a great sense of Cold War atmosphere.  Once you get into it and you're more familiar, it's much easier to follow the flow of the story.  It is a great story that I can't say isn't well told.  It just seemed to drag for me.  I'm not sure whether I was reading it too late at night or it was the author's style.  I haven't read anything else by le Carre.  I'm not in a rush to remedy this either.  I can't find fault, I just couldn't get a rhythm of reading that matched the writing.  I'll be interested to see how they adapt the story into just a film.  Hopefully they will do it justice.  I'm currently two episodes into the TV version and it's very well paced to match the book.  I have no complaints about this book but it's never going to be one of my favourites.

3.5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 50, Pages - 14,691  DAMMIT!  I failed to make the page count within the allotted number of books.  Never mind I'll keep going until I hot that 15,000.

Next - More Cat Tales from Moon Cottage by Marilyn Edwards

Book 49 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov, 276 pages

Started June 29th. finished July 6th

I don't think I've ever read any Asimov.  This makes me feel kinda lacking when I say I'm a sci-fi fan.  In fact it's really a disgrace as I grew up with his books on the shelves and never got around to any of them.  This one I borrowed from my dad with the promise it was one of his best.

Now as I sit trying to type about the book I'm at a loss on how to describe it without spoiling the experience of the book.  It would also be hard to explain what it's about.  That's where Asimov's skill seems to lie.  making something complicated easy to understand.  Unfortunately I lack the skills to relate it back.

This was a brilliant book.  You had the science, all in a believable, not magical state.  A glimpse of  a future world.  The biggest plus was real people.  People as we are now and always have been, imperfect, ambitious, not ambitious enough, bitch, sulky. No Dystopia or Utopia just a future I can believe could come around. It was definitely a strange read but a very enjoyable one.  You had to really immerse yourself in the tale.  Then you were repaid many times over.  I loved the other worlds he built as well as he portrayed our future one.

The life forms he invented drew me right in.  Whilst keeping me guessing on certain outcomes.  I definitely need to get more of his books read.  Any suggestions?

This is one I'll read again in the not too distant future.  I'm dying to see how much more I get from it second time around.

4.5 out of 5 pawprints 

Total so far - Books 49,  Pages 14,332

Next, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre 

Book 48 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, 196 pages

Started June 28th, finished June 29th.

Another read whilst on holiday.  How I wish I still was....  I'm always unsure on Wyndham with what I've read, What I've seen and what I know the synopsis of.  I can only be sure that until I've read all his output I haven't read enough.

I definitely haven't read this one before, it was totally new to me.  I really feel that John Wyndham has been a tad overlooked on the science fiction scene.  I think he put a lot of big ideas into the mix and people don't realise they were his ideas.  If I hear one more time that The Walking Dead opening scene ripped off 28 Days Later I will scream.

This book seems to be set after an apocalyptic event.  The setting resembles the English countryside with what seem to be relics of the past.  Nothing is ever set down on the page though.  You are given pointers to what may have happened and where.  These are scattered throughout the story and give you a little more each time without giving you definite answers.

The story follows a young boy from a religious family.  A very religious family.  The religion they follow has decided that God hates 'mutants'.  Anyone not pure in form is a travesty and never seen again.  As the boy becomes older he starts to question what he has always been taught.  Especially when his life experiences call 'facts' into question. The story then takes the boy and those around him on a journey of discovery.

I loved this book.  It's was one of those where you're gutted you've finished it.  Wyndham tells a tale perfectly.  Revealing things at just the right rate and leaving enough to let you wonder.  This story is definitely sci-fi yet there was a touch of the scary tales of Boogie men.  With aspects of the wonder of exploration seen in old sea-faring tales.  Alongside a study of humanity.

I'm unsure on the author's thoughts on religion.  He's hardly giving it the two thumbs up here.  Whether he is against it I don't know.  Maybe he was just using it as a tool to progress the story.  It was definitely well suited to that purpose.

This is definitely a keeper I'll read again and again.

5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 48, Pages - 14,056

Next - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

Book 47 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine, 385 pages

Started June 26th, finished June 27th

Another holiday read.  I love being able to bury myself in a book on holiday.  Too many distractions and things like work at home.

I have never been a Michael Caine fan.  From the little I'd seen of him he came across as cocky and that accent grated on me.  As for his films, every clips I'd seen had a heavily accented 'My name is Michael Caine' slant to it.  I prejudged.  The fact that my name was Kane growing up didn't help.  

I suppose you're wondering why I bought the book then?  It was a last minute, at the till, 3 for 2, Waterstones decision.  I'm glad I bought it.  It turned my opinion of Mr Caine mainly on his head.  He seemed a genuine bloke in print.  No bigging up of his achievements.  Gave thanks to the people who'd helped his career.  It was an often amusing, always interesting ride through his life.

He tells his story very well.  No gossiping or bitching.  He's done enough himself to easily fill a book without that kinda thing.  Reading this has given me the urge to go and see some of his films.  It seems I'm missing out.  Especially as I thought his performance in Is Anybody There? was so wonderful.

This is just the type of 'film star' biography I like.  I'd definitely recommend it to any Michael Caine fan, British Cinema fan or Hollywood fan.

5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 47, Pages 13,860.  Looks like I won't make the page count within 50 books.

Next - The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

Book 46 of the 50 Book Challenge

Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts, 280 pages

Started June 25th, finished June 26th

This was another holiday read.  I've been meaning to read this book for over 20 years.  It has been on the bookshelves at my parent's house since before i was born.  I was always 'about to read it'.  I think I was a little wary due to the spooky cover.  Keeping myself awake because of a book happened too often! 

This is the tale of how a couple come to own the titular Gad's Hall.  Partway into the book it steps back in time to an earlier part of the history of Gad's Hall.  It tells the tale of the family that lived there at the time.  I enjoyed both stories very much.  My only point is that it is not actually that scary.  The cover is misleading.  It is the first of two books, the second being The Haunting of Gad's Hall.  This book is the set up for that.  It's great that the set up is so deep.  You really get to know both families.  There are sparks of what is to come in this book but I'm guessing that the sequel will spook me much more.  I'm very much looking forward to reading it.  I feel I can't properly judge this, knowing there's a sequel.  A sequel which seems it will fulfil the spookiness of the cover of this book.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 46, Pages - 13,475

Next - The Elephant to Hollywood by Michael Caine

Book 45 of the 50 Book Challenge

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, 313 pages

Started June 22nd, finished June 25th.

This was my first holiday read on a week away in Cyprus.  I've always enjoyed Caitlin Moran's columns and her twitter feed is one of my favourites.  She seems to have similar views to mine combined with a huge sense of fun.

This book is very graphic.  She doesn't seem to hide anything.  The honesty is shocking yet pulls you in at the same time.  We hear about her life from her early teens and everything involved along the way.  She doesn't put a nice sheen on anything.  You feel for her throughout the book, all women must have felt the same at some point.  She's only a year older than I am so there is a lot I can relate to there.  Though we've trodden very different paths in life.

She says what I feel about a lot of things with a much more coherent voice than I could ever manage.  She brings women back to feminism very well.  The crap written about how it has had its day is shown to be exactly that after reading this book.  She just wants equality, who doesn't?  She highlights the myth of 'earning money' makes us equal.  Her take on lap dancing is wonderful.  As is her view on Katie Price as a feminist ideal.  The best bit is she never lowers herself to attacking people.  She just holds up her thoughts and you can't help but agree.  This isn't a fight against anything it's aiming for a better life for women who don't want to be confined to a manufactured ideal that cost them both emotionally and financially.

The best bit for me was two consecutive chapters on 'Why Women Should Have Children' and 'Why Women Shouldn't Have Children'.  She makes a great case for both.  Pointing out that both is a lifestyle choice one shouldn't be chided for.  Music to my ears.

There are so many things she points out that women fret over.  Things that men wouldn't dream of spending time worrying about.  It's a revelation in every chapter.

She makes the point that women falling to the base level of behaviour we get from the worst men on a Staurday night isn't a feminist coup.  Ladette's weren't feminists, they put the movement back.  Making it wrong to be feminine, you had to be one of the lads.  You don't have to deny yourself to be accepted.

This is the best, most refreshing non-fiction book, I've read in a long time.  I'd recommend it to any woman and to many males too.  There's nothing to be frightened of in here.  It's an enlightening, very funny read.

5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 45 Pages - 13,195

Next - Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts

Book 44 of the 50 Book Challenge

Hostage to History by Christopher Hitchins,  173 pages

Started June 18th, finished June 22nd.

After holidaying in Cyprus I'd heard a few different views on the partition of Cyprus and its causes.  As I'd only been to the Southern part of Cyprus this mainly went along the lines that the Turks suddenly invaded and took the island's wealth.  When discussing this back home it became clear that there was far more to the story than that.  Hence the search for an unbiased book on the subject.  This was no easy job.

First of all I read Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Gerald Durrell.  This gives a good look at Cyprus towards the end of British rule but finishes long before the Turkish invasion.  Rooting around various online booksellers brought me no fruits.  Nothing looked at the lead up to the invasion.  Then, searching for something else entirely, this book popped up.  It seemed to tick all the boxes.  So I oredered it.

The book was first written in 1984, 10 years after the invasion.  It has been updated more than once, the final update in 1997.  Unfortunately this was prior to the Republic of Cyprus being accepted into the EU.  It would be nice to see if that has caused any shifting in policies.  From my untrained eyes I can't see any.

It seems to be an unbiased, well researched look at Cypriot history from the time it was leased, by the Ottoman Empire, to Britain in 1878.  It describes the changes that had gone on throughout this period until 1974.  Filling in enormous gaps in my knowledge. I won't go on and on with my views here but it does make it blatantly clear that 'Turkish and Greek Cypriots were unhappy living together' is an outright distortion of the truth.  Without Greece,  the US and Turkey fiddling in things they had no reason to, whilst the British stood back and let their responsibilities slide Cyprus could have been a happy, strong independent state for the first time in thousands of years.

If you do go to Cyprus take the propaganda with a little touch of salt.  No one group came out of the book with a halo but it seems the people who actually lived on the island suffered greatly because no-one allow them the democracy they wanted.  Mr Kissinger comes out of this book very badly.  I doubt whether EU membership will make much of a difference unless Turkey get any closer to joining.  Visiting the 'Green Line' it isn't nice to see people still hurting because they can't return home.  The UN keeps the peace but could it not have prevented the problem in the first place?

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 44, pages - 12,882

Next - How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Book 43 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Wicked Wit of Winstone Churchill by Dominique Enright, 155 pages

Started May 25th, finished June 21st.

I picked this up at the wonderful Churchill War Rooms museum in London.  It's a perfect titbit book.

Churchill was very quick witted and not only could he direct the wit himself he was a master of the riposte.  This book is a collection of his quips, ripostes and witticisms.  Gathered together in chapters.  What surprised me was how much they could find to put into the book.  Churchill's speech seems to have been very well documented.  I suppose meeting the man himself would ensure it got a passage or two in your diary.

I think my favourite has to be a reply to Nancy Astor.

Nancy Astor "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your coffee."

Churchill "Nancy, if you were my wife, I'd drink it."

I doubt Churchill was always the easiest person to get along with.  I'd bet he was damn entertaining company a lot of the time though :-)

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 43, Pages -12, 709

Next - Hostage to History by Christopher Hitchins

Book 42 of the 50 Book Challenge

The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher, 151 pages

Started June 16th, finished June 17th.

This is the second in The Tripods Trilogy.  I love it as much as I do the first book.  It manages to continue the voyage of discovery started in the first book.

This book is almost all about Will.  Henry and Beanpole are lost from the narrative early on.  Will has the weight of the Free Men's hopes on his shoulders.  His character is very well written.  He is doing a brave and wonderful thing but still has his sulky, impetuous side that he's struggling to keep in check.

I'm enjoying these book as much as I have done before :-)

5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 42, Pages -12, 554

Next - The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill to Dominique Enright

Book 41 of the 50 Book Challenge

From Bangkok to BC, Chasing Sunsets by Wolf E Boy, 250 pages

Started June 14th, finished June 15th.

This book is by a Twitter buddy of mine, @wolfeeboy999 I discovered he'd written it after I read about it on a blog.  

It's an account of his travels around Asia, Australia and Canada.  It's written in a much more chatty style than your typical travelogues.  Meaning that it's really easy to sink right into it.   He tells the story of his snap decision to buy an 'Around the World' ticket, then you're at Heathrow, then landed in Bangkok before you know it.  

The writing gives a great feel for the places he visits and the people he meets.  He gives us an honest account of life travelling and the things that happen with no sense of masculine bravado.  You feel like you're getting the real deal not some version to bolster an ego.  He comes across as a nice guy you'd have a good laugh with. 

I like the fact that he travelled to where and what he wanted to do.  Not some squeezing in of every sight and experience but had a damn good time.  I'd give my hind teeth to be able to spend the time he did in Canada.  Only difference being, I'd have used 2 planks of wood, not a tray ;-)

The book contains nice little bits of poetry here and there from the author and a fair few pictures too.  Both of which add to the experience.

I don't think I'd ever have the guts to up and leave for over a year and I have to admire someone who just got on with it.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 41, Pages -12, 403

Next - From Bangkok to BC by Wolf E Boy

Book 40 of the 50 Book Challenge

Remembrance of the Daleks by Ben Aaronovitch, 152 pages

Started June 11th, finished June 13th.

This is a read along with the Escape to Danger blog.

I haven't seen or read any McCoy since he was on screen.  he was never my favourite Doctor by a very long way.  I wasn't fond of his companions either.  Add to that his appearance in the abomination of 1996 and he's way down my list.

Having said all that, this is one of his stories that stuck in my head.  Probably my favourite that I have faded memories of from his era.

I found this book difficult to immerse myself in though.  The style of writing didn't flow for me.  Not sure if this was my state of mind or the style.  The chapter set up didn't help.  mainly short and snappy.  With occasional much longer ones thrown in.  The chapters aren't titled either, just given diary format, dates and times.

The characters in the book do a lot of looking back to WWII.  This is set in the 60's and the war is still a huge influence.  A theme running through the book is one of inequality and prejudice.  The 'No Blacks' signs in B&B's are highlighted.  Ace remembers her friend's family's suffering due to not being white.  A sad pointer that things hadn't been solved 25 years on.

My (not too) inner child just has to say - Daleks fighting Daleks, oh yes!  Here too the race element is brought into the story.  I hope this theme influenced 80's children for the better about vicious small mindedness.  I am looking forward to getting to the TV version of this in my run through.  I want to see how subtly the themes are dealt with there.  Daleks fighting Daleks is pretty cool.  

This is the story that brought about the flying Dalek.  I remember my jaw dropping as a kid as the Doctor and Ace got to the safety of the stairs.  Only to find the pepperpot could fly.  So much for the Daleks' famous design flaw.

This is a  bloody good story.  I just found it difficult to get through.  I have to say it's one of the stories I'm most looking forward to on my journey through the DVDs.

3 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 40, Pages -12, 153

Next - From Bangkok to BC by Wolf E Boy

Book 39 of the 50 Book Challenge

A Death in Tuscany by Michele Giutarri, 381 pages

Started June 6th, finished June 10th.

This is the second book in the series.  The author is writing a novel based on his experiences as the chief of the Florence 'Flying Squad'.  The character even has the same first name as he does.  When he's telling the story it's a good read.  There are little bits here and there that seem too much about him though and they irritated me a little.  As the story gets going these tail off.

The story begins with the death of a young unidentified girl.  Never a nice place to begin.  It has plenty of twists and turns.  The inevitable 'hero coming up against the system' parts.  It also has some dark subject matter.  This is dealt with well though.  The horrible tale is told but without any unnecessary dwelling on the horrific parts.  

The story shows the differences Italians feel between the old states.  Also the way Europe is changing.  The differences between the Italian regions fascinates me.  I never tire of it being brought up in novels.

All in all this is a good story that, once it finds its feet, rips along at a good pace.  I'm not sure how fanciful some of the plot points are.  I'm not entirely sure I found them all believable but it didn't hinder my enjoyment.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 39, Pages -12,001

Next - Remembrance of the Daleks by Ben Aaronovitch

Book 38 of the 50 Book Challenge

The White Mountains by John Christopher, 147 pages

Started June 4th, finished June 5th.

This is the first of my favourite set of books from when I was a child.  The books and the TV serials are wonderful memories for me that I like to relive from time to time.

The reason for the current re-read was that they were discussed on Twitter.  Myself and Kiraniumbra convinced Jacob and Karode to read the books and watch the tv series.  With strict advice to read the books first.  It tweaked me into re-reading them myself.  So off I went to pick the trilogy and the prequel from my parents' house.  My mother and I cannot fully agree on who has custody of these books ;-)

It's a really easy book to fly through.  They are childrens'  Sci-Fi fiction so they were never going to be tough.  However they don't belittle the reader's intelligence in any way.  Which is always going to be a turn off for a young reader anyway.

The book is told from the point of view of Will.  A petulant 13 year old.  He doesn't hide from his faults as he tells the story.  The tale is set in the not too distant future.  Where Earth has been over taken by Tripods, massive machines.  Technology has gone back a couple of centuries and is back to horse and cart and flour mills.  When a person reaches the age of 14 a Tripod comes for them and they are 'capped'.  When Will's cousin is capped he becomes much more distant from Will.  This and the arrival of a strange man in the village give Will doubts about his willingness to be capped... 

 To learn more of Will and his adventures pick up the book.  Go on, it's brilliant!

5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 38, Pages -11,620 

Next - The White Mountains by John Christopher

Book 37 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly, 565 pages

Started May 30th, finished June 3rd.

I was looking forward to this book.  A favourite author, a further look at a character I liked and it was nice and thick.  Just the kind of book you can immerse yourself in.

I like the way the author covers the last year or so without telling the whole story.  You learn what the main character's been through and where he is now without being dragged through it.  This means the bulk of the book is dedicated to telling the story at hand.

A good story it is too.It moves at a good pace with enough twists and turns to keep the story going to a nice length.  There were a few shocks I didn't see coming.  I don't like it when a plot's too obvious.

Connelly has brought two of his other recurring characters into this book.  Harry Bosch and Jack McEvoy.  I liked this.  It's nice and subtle for the main part.  There's none of your nose being rubbed in it.  It was interesting to see Bosch portrayed from 'the other side'.

I'm looking forward to the next Mickey Haller novel.  I am worried though that one lawyer can only get so many dangerous, weird cases in his career.  

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 37, Pages -11,473

Next - The White Mountains by John Christopher

Book 36 of the 50 Book Challenge

Southern Seas by Manuel Vazquez Montalban, 214 pages

Started May23rd, finished May 30th.

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous Pepe Carvahlo novel.  This was back in Barcelona and it felt much better.

Pepe is hired by a rich widow to find out how and why her husband was killed.  It's far from a simple plot with twists and turns aplenty.  Our main character is once again behaving in a manner that can hardly be hailed as gentlemanly.  His behaviour would have him sacked from any legitimate police force.  It's refreshing to have a detective breaking the usual molds.

The characters are well written.  Montalban doesn't go too much into back story but writes them as they behave.  This keeps the book flowing and lets us know around the same as the investigator himself.  I was totally in the dark for most of this story.  It was enjoyable to pick up the pieces as they were dropped by the author.

The setting is quite alien to me.  It is fascinating to read about Barcelona in the years immediately following Franco's death but it isn't an easy place for me to get a grasp on either.  The various political parties and viewpoints make for good reading and in this I feel we don't get too much of that as I felt we did in Murder in the Central Committee.  Though it seems from online bibliographies I have read these books the wrong way around.  

Once again there are marvellous descriptions of food in the story.  Pepe has a great appreciation for food and wines.  Shame he isn't real, he would be a great guide to Barcelona and it's cuisine.  After this I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series, Offside.  Though that's a fair way down the tower yet.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 36, Pages -10,908

Next - The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Book 35 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Cats of Moon Cottage by Marilyn Edwards, 242 pages

Started April 26th, finished May 25th.
This was an impulse buy as I passed it.  I know I shouldn't read biographical tales of cats.  They get me every time.  I know what to expect and what it will cost me in hankies.


It was a book of nice short chapters so it became my titbit book.  If you're not a cat fan I don't think this book is for you.  However if you have room in your heart for the little critters I think you'll enjoy it.


The writer, who is the owner of the titular cats, gets across very well their characters.  She tells their stories well.  You get a great feel for life in this cottage and what the cats mean to it.  There are stories that all cat owners are familiar with along with some surprises along the way.  This is a book that's fun where it should be but with many parts that will move you too.


It's a short snappy read.  One you can dive in and out of if you don't want to read in one fell swoop. 


Special mention must be made about the illustrations.  The illustrator is Peter Warner who has sadly passed away.  He captures cats in a way few people can.  They're not just anatomically correct but character correct too.  The cats are brought to life in the text and these pictures, throughout the book are the wonderful icing on the cake.  


I liked this book a lot.  My next titbit book on the pile is its sequel.


4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 35, Pages -10,694

Next - Southern Seas by Manuel Vazquez Montalban