"There would be times when Riah Millican came to regret that her husband had learned to read and write, and then shared his knowledge with her and their children. For this was Durham in the 1830's, when employers tended to regard the spread of education with suspicion. But now Seth Millican was dead and she was a widow with the need to find a home and a living for herself and her children.
The chance of becoming a housekeeper didn't work out, but it led to Moor House and a scholarly recluse obsessed with that very book learning that could open so many doors and yet create so many problems; especially with her daughter, Biddy, who was not only bright, but wilful..."
I grew up thinking that Catherine Cookson was sort of a lightweight romance author, and thus I never really bothered with her. The only reason I picked up this book was because I was on holiday to France and the only English book I could find. So imagine my surprise when I picked up The Black Velvet Gown, and found it to be more intricate than I expected, and written in an intelligent, sometimes stark fashion.
Based on the cover and various descriptions of it and its author, I really expected another shallow, crappy 'historical fiction' (really a romance in pseudo-intellectual clothes). This, to my mind, was nothing of the sort. No, nothing sweeping or epic happens--none of the characters change the world, but they do change their worlds, and that alone was enjoyable enough to read. It really gave you a sense of the conditions of the time period.
The real draw for me was the characters, though. I loved how deeply drawn they were. No major characters here are one-dimensional. The jerks had softer, gentler sides, the kind ones had mean streaks and were capable of resentment and bitterness. People like the wrong people and dismiss the good ones mistakenly, they make mistakes. Biddy, the arguable main character, gets herself into trouble because she's got a temper and doesn't hold her tongue when that temper is high. Mr Miller is deeply, deeply complex, and I went through different shades with him. By the end of the book, I still wasn't quite sure what to make of him. They felt like real people with real struggles, and for that I adore this book.
No earth-shattering plots or anything like that here, but if you want a genuine human drama, this is for you. Age rating 14+. Heavy, sometimes depressing and talks about difficult subjects in a language you need to be older to understand.
"Young, rich and good-looking, Izzy and her friends lead seemingly perfect lives. But exams are looming and at a school like Clerkenwell, failure is not an option. Luckily, Tigs has a solution. A small pill that will make revision a breeze and help them get the results they need. Desperate to succeed, the group begin taking the study drug. It doesn't take long before they realize there are far worse things than failing a few exams."
I am so confused... That ending has just turned my mind to mush and I don't even.
I felt that this book started pretty slowly, but once it got going it was at full pelt with no intention of stopping.
I think what impacted my enjoyment the most was the characters. When it comes to drugs of any sort and the consequences, I am very unsympathetic and part of me thought that these characters got what they deserved. I did like some of the characters in this, and I felt quite sorry for poor Izzy. I understood that her and her friends only wanted to do well in their exams, but I did feel that the only one with any sense was Kara. Who gets given random drugs by a friend, with no labels or explanations as to what is in them, that have come from some random unapproved website, and says ‘what the hell? Down the hatch!’. I mean talk about asking for trouble! Have they no self-preservation skills? Do they not worry about what they’re taking? It could by cyanide for all they know!
This book was definitely creepy and verged strongly on the gruesome, but it didn't effect me that much as I didn't feel very connected to the characters. I also liked that the story was believable, mildly realistic, and not the same old thing rehashed. There was some romance, but just a touch, and it didn’t really interfere with the main storyline.
Also part of the Red Eye series like Fir, (a book I have reviewed before this.) which I am really giving ago at the moment.
For some reason it made me want to pull an all nighter, to watch the sun set and then rise without closing my eyes. Age Rating I would say 14+ as it deals with drug abuse, murder, mental psychosis and severe hallucinations.
"We are the trees. We are the snow.
We are the winter.
We are the peace. We are the rage.
Cut off from civilization by the harsh winter of northern Sweden, the Stromberg family shelter in their old plantation house. There are figures lurking in the ancient pine forests and they’re closing in. With nothing but four walls between the Strombergs and the evil that’s outside, they watch and wait for the snows to melt.
But in the face of signs that there’s an even greater danger waiting to strike, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from illusion. All they’ve got to do is stay sane and survive the winter…"
5 Words: Family, isolation, chilling, mythology, fear.
Part Scandi-noir thriller, part chilling horror, with a side of ancient lore and subtle hint of environmental-awareness... I could not put this book down.
I think the greatest strength in this book, and the aspect I enjoyed the most, is the setting. It's just breathtaking. The atmosphere just builds and builds in intensity until suddenly you look up, and it's snowing outside, and for a moment you're terrified. You can hear the trees. Did a wolf just howl? Is that a spot of blood on the snow?
Don't read this book when it's snowing.
I also loved the family dynamics, the resentment that slowly grows between the characters. It felt natural, it added to the horror. It added to the atmosphere and made it harder to figure out what was real and what wasn't.
There is a sense of magic realism to the story, and everywhere you look are unreliable characters described by an unreliable narrator. This is my ultimate catnip in a book.
I did want more when I reached the end of the book, but ultimately I was happy with the ending and how it was left slightly open. I still don't know what was real and what was not. Was it all in their heads? WHAT HAPPENED?
I'm one of those people who will say that I "don't like horror". But the Red Eye collection? Wow. Even if you "don't like horror" pick it up.
Age Rating 12+. Creepy and suspenseful, not for a sensitive 12.
"Polly Perks joins the Discworld army to find her brother Paul. "Ozzer" cuts off blonde braids, dons male garb, belches, scratches, and masters macho habits aided by well-placed pair of socks. Legendary and seemingly ageless Sergeant Jackrum accepts her plus a vampire, troll, zombie, religious fanatic, and two close "friends". The best man for the job may be a woman."
This is my favourite and most read of all the discworld novels, closely followed by The Nightwatch.
Monstrous Regiment is about a girl who dresses up as a boy to get into the army of an extremely misogynistic and backward country so she can try to rescue her older brother Paul, whom she has taken care of since she was a child. That’s not a spoiler, by the way: that’s on the back cover. The entire story is about female and male roles, and whether or not they should change. It’s also a book that will probably make you think a few new thoughts, especially if female equality isn’t an obsession of yours, and therefore obviously worth reading.
Monstrous Regiment will also make you think about war. There is enough about realistic fighting in it to make you freeze in shock at points. Like Night Watch, like all of Sir Terry’s best writing, it deals with a serious subject in a crazy way and in turn has a deadly serious razor edge to it. Yes, yes, war is bad and grass is green but Monstrous Regiment will make you feel up close and personal what it’s like to be a soldier. If you don’t feel some wheels turning in your head as you re-evaluate your position on whether anybody should fight anybody with anything after reading this book you are probably dumber than a pigeon.
The third subject Monstrous Regiment takes on is religion. Yes, organized religion and heavenly religion, too. Once again, the book will probably surprise you. It astounded and amazed me by its bravery in handling this particular hot potato. I won’t go into the subject at length here because there are some spoilers that are pretty important to the discussion, but suffice it to say that new thoughts may well rocket back and forth in your head at the speed of a light clacks’ signals. (very fast) Sir Terry is a genius when it comes to turning established “truths” on their heads and then turning them back over again . . . and back upside-down just for good measure.
So definitely, without doubt, read the book. There are some terrific characters introduced here. The protagonist, Polly Oliver Ozzer Perks, is a very likeable girl. I’d be entirely happy to have Polly on my team any day, and I’d not hesitate to call on her in time of need. She’s smart and solid. That’s high praise from me.
Age rating is about 13/14+. Overall: The action in the book is fast and furious, the humor is hilarious, the writing is fresh and vibrant, the ideas breathtaking, and there are even a few brief appearances by Samuel Vimes, who is my favorite of all Sir Terry’s characters, male or female.
"There would be times when Riah Millican came to regret that her husband had learned to read and write, and then shared his knowledge with her and their children. For this was Durham in the 1830's, when employers tended to regard the spread of education with suspicion. But now Seth Millican was dead and she was a widow with the need to find a home and a living for herself and her children.
