Review: A Scandinavian Christmas

A Scandinavian Christmas is a slim anthology of sixteen short stories written by a range of authors both classic and modern. It includes three very famous tales from Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), as well three from the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature, Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940). 

I am a terrible sucker for a pretty cover and this one is gorgeous. The book would make a beautiful stocking filler for someone who loves classic short stories that lean towards literary fiction but it won't suit everyone. Despite the cover, these tales are not all-out 'sleigh bells and mistletoe' festive tales, but unusual, poignant and sometimes downright sad stories that just happen to be set at Christmas.

My favourites were the three Hans Christian Andersen stories - beautifully written but incredibly sad. I also enjoyed The Forest Witch (about a girl trying to outwit a witch), The Christmas Rose (about a beautiful garden that only appears at Christmas) and Christmas Eve by Vigdis Hjorth (a clever but poignant story about an alcoholic trying to get through Christmas dinner with their family).

Thank you to Vintage/Random House for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen by Dexter Palmer

It was the gorgeous cover of this book that caught my eye. When I read the blurb I realised I had heard of this real-life story, so I was interested to see how the author had worked it into a tale of fiction.

Way back in the early 18th century, a woman in a small English town begins giving birth to rabbits. While the local surgeon can hardly believe it (although his wife has her own opinions!), the vicar takes it as a Sign from God and the constant battle between good and evil. Word begins to spread until even the King has heard the story and he sends his own physicians to investigate...

I enjoyed the story and loved all the historical detail. It's very easy to read - I had the idea I'd browse a few pages to see what it was like, got hooked, and found I'd gone through 10% fairly quickly! The characters are thoroughly engaging. I particularly loved the fourteen-year-old Zachary (the surgeon's apprentice) and the dry humour of his master, John Howard (and John's wife!). The author has some good points to make about the perils of seeking celebrity, how easy it is to become carried away by the schemes of others, and the fragility of a good reputation.

As much as I loved Zachary, I think I would have preferred The Rabbit Queen to have had more from Mary's point of view - to learn about her life and the reasons behind the strange choices she made. Despite the title, the story is mostly made up of Zachary's observations on 18th century life, particularly in London. I think it was these details (and the characters) that made the story for me. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes their historical fiction gritty and based on true life. The only negative for me was the scene of animal cruelty towards the end of the book.

Thank you to Dexter Palmer and Corsair (Little, Brown Group, UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Dolor's Legs by Frances Hardinge

Dolor's Legs is a very, very short story that was briefly available via NetGalley. I'm not sure if it will appear anywhere else. It is set in the world of Frances Hardinge's most recent YA novel, Deeplight.

Deeplight was about a boy who scavenged the body parts (not quite as gruesome as it sounds!) of the tyrannical and murderous gods that ruled his world decades before. Dolor's Legs is a prequel, set while those gods are still alive. The heroine is a twelve-year-old girl who hero-worships a glamorous couple who live on a boat. Dolor is one of the gods, the size of a village, who collects legs (also not as gruesome as it sounds). If I tell you any more, I'll ruin the story for you.

Dolor's Legs is the perfect introduction to Deeplight, or as a prequel if you've already enjoyed it. For such a short story it's clever and creepy, with a surprising twist at the end. My only disappointment was that I wanted more!

Thank you to Frances Hardinge and Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and read voluntarily.

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Deeplight by Frances Hardinge 

Review: Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

The original hardback cover for this book was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen (a wishing well in a wood) but it implied the story was a re-telling of a fairy tale - which it isn't - and that's why the reviews are mixed. Gingerbread is one of those novels where the author leaves you wondering if this a tale of magic, or a modern fable (referencing Brexit, people trafficking and immigration), or entirely in the heroine's mind. Even after finishing it, I'm still not certain!

Gingerbread is a story within a story. Harriet Lee lives at the top of a London tower block (the tallest tower of fairy tales) with her teenage daughter Perdita. Harriet is hard-working, practical and kind. She tries very hard to be accepted by the Parents' Association at Perdita's school, even baking them her 'famous' gingerbread. But all her attempts - and her gingerbread - are rejected. Then Perdita is rushed to hospital. While Harriet waits for her daughter to recover, Perdita insists that Harriet tells her the true story of where they came from and who her father is - because Harriet's homeland, Druhástrana, does not appear on any map...

The best part of Gingerbread is the very clever writing. Other books may contain ten brilliant lines in all; in Gingerbread there are ten brilliant lines on almost every page. The story is a very slow burn. Every character, even the minor ones, have lengthy backstories and the story meanders about, but there is humour and a tiny bit of romance, and some parts are truly magical. I loved the description of Harriet's flat and Perdita's dolls. Another favourite bit was where Harriet went to live with the Kerchevals and met Perdita's father. I wasn't so keen on the gingerbread theme park!

You have to be the kind of reader who enjoys long books with lots of detail, a clever turn of phrase, and the ability to enjoy a good story without thinking about the logic of it too much. You can think about that after you've finished it! The only book I can think of that's vaguely similar is Life of Pi - a fantastical story-within-a-story of one person's life. If you're looking for a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, you will be disappointed - even though there actually is a character called Gretel!

Thank you to Helen Oyeyemi and Picador (Pan Macmillan) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson

The striking cover of this book caught my eye but I wasn't sure if it was going to be my 'thing', because I am not keen on stories told in the format of letters. But my friends were raving about it so I thought I'd take a chance, and I'm so pleased I did.

On impulse Tina Hopgood writes to Professor Glob, who dedicated his book on the Tollund Man to her and her classmates over fifty years ago, asking whether she should visit his museum in Denmark. Unfortunately, the professor died some time ago and instead she receives a reply from Anders Larsen, the current curator. Tina and Anders begin a correspondence, tentative at first, then confiding personal aspects of their lives until they are more than just penpals.

Meet Me at the Museum is a sweet story that reminded me a bit of The Shop Around The Corner, although the two main characters don't secretly know each other or work in a shop! It is a leisurely, subtle read that some might find a bit slow, but once I got into it I did enjoy learning about the very different lives of these two characters, their hopes and dreams, and the tragedies that have made them the people they are. I particularly enjoyed reading about Anders' life in Denmark as I know little about that country, and it was also refreshing to read about characters who are in their (I think) sixties. I loved the snippets of historical detail about the Tollund Man and the way the story ended (no spoilers!). So I have no hesitation in recommending this one - and that cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to Anne Youngson, Transworld/Random House, and NetGalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night by Jen Campbell

I was attracted to this book of short stories by the title and the pretty cover. However, while I really enjoyed reading it, I can see that it won't be to everyone's taste. It's a mix of dark fairy tales, fantasy, and magic realism, and hits the ground running right from the first story, Animals, about a world where hearts (human and animal) can be bought online to transplant. This one is also a little bit gruesome, so be warned, but it was one of my favourites!

Some stories are quite short, just tiny snippets of the characters' lives or train of thought. In some cases these felt more like ideas than fully fleshed-out stories. Some I would have preferred to have been longer, and some I didn't understand at all! But what was never in doubt is how highly original they are. Jen Campbell has an incredible imagination!

The story I liked best was the ghosty/gothicky Aunt Libby's Coffin Hotel, about a woman who runs a hotel for those who want to experience a temporary 'death'. Another favourite was Plum Pie, Zombie Green, Yellow Bee, Purple Monster, about group of children who are half-human and half-plant. And Jacob, written in the format of a letter from a young boy to a TV weather girl, was funny.

I really liked this anthology, and absolutely loved the stories listed above, so I wavered between giving it four or five stars. I think it would appeal to readers who prefer more literary fiction, and fans of authors such as Angela Carter and Alice Hoffman.

Thank you to Jen Campbell, Two Roads, and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

I downloaded How to Stop Time because I follow Matt Haig on Twitter. He's funny and entertaining, but also talks honestly about more serious issues. I'd never read any of his books before but the sound of this one intrigued me. I knew I'd enjoy it but I was surprised by how much, and I started recommending it to my friends before I'd even finished it.

For some reason I'd got it into my head it was about time travel - it isn't. It's hard to explain the story without giving away too much of the plot, but basically our hero, Tom, was born in 1581, the son of aristocratic French immigrants. His father was killed in the religious wars, and Tom and his mother are now scraping a living in Suffolk. But Tom has a secret that in those days could get you killed. He ages at about the rate of one year to everyone else's fifteen. When the story continues in the present day, he still appears as though he's only in his early forties.

How to Stop Time reminded me a bit of that old 1980s movie Highlander (only without the beheadings!) as Tom tries to live his life throughout the centuries, forced to be constantly on the move in case he is found out, and trying not to fall in love. And  I loved the way he kept accidentally bumping into famous historical figures!

What I particularly enjoyed was that it read almost like a collection of short stories. We are shown glimpses of Tom's past life mixed in with his present one as a history teacher. It's like that old 'gather around the fireside and I'll tell you a story'.

The writing is fabulous, I loved all the quirky historical facts and pertinent things Tom has to say about how we live our lives in the 21st century. It was one of those books I really didn't want to end and I'd have loved to have heard more of  Tom's stories about the past.

Recommended!


Thank you to Matt Haig, Canongate Books and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: The Lie of the Land by Amanda Craig

I absolutely loved this book! Wickedly funny with brilliant characters, I could hardly bear to put it down. The story is about Lottie and Quentin Bredin, who are forced to uproot from London and settle in the wilds of Devon because they can't afford to divorce. Dragged along for the ride are Lottie's son Xan and their young daughters, the precocious Stella and good-natured Rosie. Most of the humour comes from the shock of exchanging their lovely home in the city for an old farmhouse, which is damp and overrun with mice (and, on one occasion, a large rat). Worse still, there's barely any mobile phone signal or Internet. And then the Bredins find out exactly why the house was so cheap to rent  - and what happened to the previous tenant ...

The joy of this book is in how the characters deal with (or, in some cases, don't deal with) adversity. Lottie is a control freak, trying desperately hard to keep her family from going under while utterly devastated by Quentin's serial infidelity. Quentin is a self-obsessed idiot, who spends the first half of the book trying to claw his way back into the London elite, gatecrashing the parties and clubs where he used to reign supreme. Unfortunately he never spent much time being nice to people on the way up, so they are all quite gleefully watching him get his comeuppance on the way down.

Pampered teenager Xan, who has failed to get into Cambridge and sulkily refuses to consider an alternative university, has a horrible shock when he finds out they can't even afford Netflix and he is forced to get a job at the local pie-making factory. (After reading about his adventures, you'll probably never want to eat a ready-made pie again!)

The story is told from each viewpoint over the course of a year, with the addition of Sally, a local midwife, who first meets Quentin when his car forces hers into a ditch. Despite this, Sally becomes good friends with Lottie and we also see village life from her more sensible perspective.

The plot skillfully covers the harsh realities of divorce, caring for elderly parents, trying to fit into a new community, poverty, infidelity and infertility. Despite the humour, the story was a little dark in places, particularly with regards to the mystery of the previous tenant - and exactly what happens to that meat before it ends up on your table as a Sunday roast. 

My favourite characters were Xan, who was the first to realise what a sheltered life he'd been leading, and his step-father Quentin - even though Quentin was so horrible: "Without selfishness, I'll have a life of misery and boredom."

The Lie of the Land is one of my favourite reads this year. Recommended if you love cleverly written stories about eccentric characters, with a bit of humour and a mystery thrown in. I'll definitely be seeking out more of Amanda's books!

Thank you to Amanda Craig, the Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant is completely brilliant! This is far and away the best book I've read this year. I had assumed from the title that the story was going to be something along the lines of Bridget Jones, but the cover with the burnt out matches (on the UK version) intrigued me and I thought perhaps there was more to it - maybe a psychological suspense?

It turned out I was completely wrong about that too! There is no 'big twist you'll never see coming'; there are no big twists at all, just a very clever story about an unusual and interesting character, whose past history is revealed a tiny bit at a time. (Pay particular attention about halfway through). I'm not quite sure what genre to classify this as. It did remind me of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, but I think that is more the style of writing; it's not really a psychological suspense.

The story is about Eleanor Oliphant who is nearly thirty years old. She's been in the same job since leaving university, has no ambition, and is happy to just keep doing the same things every day for the rest of her life. However, she has no friends - she has no social skills at all - and the kind of things the rest of us take for granted - smart phones,  social media, etc - completely flummox her. The other clue that things are not quite right in her life, is that she drinks two bottles of vodka every weekend, and has developed a crush on a musician who she is convinced will fall madly in love with her once he realises she exists. And every Wednesday she speaks with her horrible mother, who completely tears any self-confidence she has built up over the previous week to shreds. To me, she felt like a 1930s debutante who had suddenly been plonked into the 21st century and was completely clueless.

Of course things can't carry on like this and one simple act of kindness will turn Eleanor's ordered life upside down.

The story is told from Eleanor's point of view and, as well as being absolutely hilarious (this is one of those books that actually does have lots of those 'laugh out loud' moments), is by turns sweet, funny, sad, quirky, poignant, touching, incredibly lovely and completely wonderful. I loved it!

Thank you to Gail Honeyman, Harper Collins and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.