The Survivors Club - Ben Sherwood

I didn't pick this book up because it is a New York Times bestseller, or because I thought it would help me survive a crisis or disaster; I picked it up as it looked interesting - and it is.

The basic premise of the books is that everyone has the potential to be a survivor. A survivor of accidents, disaster, serious illness, bereavement, stress and life in general, it's not about what you know, how fit you are or knowing how to survive in a jungle with a single match; it's more about attitude and being prepared.

The author looks at situations and exceptional circumstances and how people have survived, and what we can learn from these experiences.

How to better your odds at surviving a plane crash, how to survive a trip to casualty, and what makes someone a survivor. Looking at victims of crime, survivors of accidents and wars; we learn the simple little things that we can teach ourselves about surviving.

The second half of the book is linked to a website where you can take a multi-question test to find out your own survivor profile. I'm not sure about that, when I did the test I'm not sure I agree with the result. But it's still fascinating nonetheless.

I've learnt some important facts and survival techniques, that I actually hope I'll never need. But I've also come to realise how I've survived some of the stresses and situations I've already been in so far in my life.

October 2010

Bought in Waterstones, Sheffield

No and Me - Delphine de Vigan

This came onto my radar due to the link to homelessness (i've been volunteering for a homeless charity), and it looked of interest.

I loved the style of writing and the voice of the narrator (the 'Me' in the title).

Lou is a gifted child with a disfunctional family and issues with school (she's in higher year group than her age). When she meets a homeless girl ('No' - short for Norween) in the streets of Paris, she's moved to take her in and care for her....with unintended consequences.

This is a great book, easy and enjoyable to read. I cared about the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen, particularly to 'No'.

The end was a bit disappointing, and I guess it's left rather open for a sequel. I imagine that it will be optioned for a film, but I'm not sure how well it will transfer to screen (certainly it would have to be a French film - the book was originally published in France and is set in Paris).

Bought on Green Metropolis
15th - 22nd October 2010

Club Dead - Charlaine Harris

I know, I know, I said I wouldn't be reading any more of these.......but I finished watching the second season of the True Blood on DVD and wanted more...

As with the first two this is really poorly written and needs a damn good editor - clunky grammar and sentence structure (and that coming from someone who is slightly dyslexic!).

BUT, the characters are fab and the story is great fun - like before I read this book in a day or so, and couldn't put it down.

Now looking forward to the third season (not on DVD for a while here in the UK), I'm undecided about reading the fifth book, but I'm sure I'll give in at some point.....it's like an addiction (but since when has a reading addiction been bad for anyone!?).

Bought on Green Metropolis

12 - 15th October 2010

Salmon fishing in the Yemen - Paul Torday

I'd wanted to read this book for sometime, in fact I'd given Dad a copy of it as we'd visited the Yemen together on business about 15 Years ago.

However I'd also heard that it was an incredibly silly book, and that had put me off a little.  So as is often the way with books I'm not sure about I got an audio version.

Often with me its not the story I don't like, but the writing style, something that doesn't matter when you listen to an audio book version.

What I'd heard was absolutely correct, the premise of the book is very silly - a wealthy Yemeni sheik wants to introduce salmon fishing into the wadis of the Yemeni deserts!  And as the project gains momentum it drags in various characters including the prime minister of the UK.

The book appears to be a collection of documents including diaries of the chief scientist on the project, an unpublished autobiography of the PMs press officers, transcripts from interviews and extracts from Hansard.

By the end I found that I was being carried along by the story and ignoring the improbability of salmon swimming in a river in a desert region of the world.

I'm not sure I'd have stuck with the book, and to be honest I'm not sure that Dad would have enjoyed it; but it made for great entertainment in the car, and the multi-voiced reading made it much more that a conventional audio book.

I've just discovered online that a film version is being made starring Ewan McGregor - I'd say it would certainly be worth a look, in fact it's probably more suited to being a film than a book!

Bought on Green Metropolis.

27th September - 4th October 2010

The boy in the striped pyjamas - John Boyne

What can I say about this book?  It's short, simply written (the narrator is a nine year old boy), and it totally brew me away.  I'd got to within 20 pages of the end, and even though it was very late and I'd worked out where the story was going, I couldn't put it down.

One of the things I loved most was the way it was written, the voice of Bruno.  Such as the description of his Dad's office, which was 'Out Of Bounds At All Times With No Exceptions' and of his sister, who although older than him was a 'Hopeless Case'.

Set in Germany and then Poland during the second world war the story is of Bruno's family move to a new house, and his friendship with a boy who wears striped pyjamas, even in the day.

I'm not going to tell you anymore, you'll have to read it.  There is a film adaptation, which I believe is very good - it's certainly on my list of films to see, I just hope they've done it justice.

Many of my friends have said that it made them cry, but strangely enough I didn't find it sad in that way.

Bought at the HARC bookstall in Nether Edge Market.

27th - 29th September 2010

The Moneyless Man - Mark Boyle

When I told a friend that I was reading a book about a man who lived for a year without money her reaction was a common one,

'oh, so he's freeloading off others then'

But he didn't, and as far as I know still doesn't.

I can't say I agree with all Mark Boyle's ideas about society and money, but a lot of what he writes certainly struck a cord with me.  He fully admits that moneyless living wouldn't work if everyone tried it, and that he has to be realistic and deal with the world he lives in now and not some idealised world where everything is freely given.

Nor does he survive much on bartering which he sees as close to being a form of money.

So he was given a caravan to live in on a piece of land given by a local organic farm where he volunteers.  He grows his own food, forages or bin raids, gets what little power he needs for charging his mobile phone (in coming calls only) and laptop (for publicising the project on a blog and running a freeconomy website) from solar panels, uses a wood burner made from old oil tins for cooking (or eats raw food - he's vegan), showers with water from the river, and cycles or hitches everywhere.

The only things he does barter for are food items that can't be grown or found - but that's rare.

The year obviously isn't easy, but it is interesting to read about, to understand his ideas and motives, and to see how he managed.

I finished the book determined to try to use less and recycle more (although I'm sure I do pretty well already).

The book style is very blog like, even though its not set out as such.  Informal and engaging to read but manages to inform at the same time.

At the end he pledges to continue, with all proceeds from the book going into a trust in order to purchase a piece of land to establish a freeconomy community.

I have my doubts it will work, we live in a world so ruled by money, rules and regulations, and I'm afraid I have a rather jaundiced view of the human race (we are probably beyond saving).

The book ends with a list of relevant web addresses, and I've already signed up on facebook to follow his journey onwards, and I really want to go on a foraging course.

Bought with leaving present Amazon gift voucher from Age Concern Stockport.

- 27th September 2010  

Her Fearful Summetry - Audrey Niffenegger

When Elspeth Dies she leaves the very nice flat over looking Highgate Cemetery to her twin nieces who she has never met.  But only on the understanding that their mother and father never visit the flat, and the twins must live in it for at least a year before they can sell it.

But when the twins arrive they find themselves having to deal with those left behind by their aunt, and it seems that their aunt might not have totally left the premises.

This ghost story was really enjoyable, the characters were interesting, even if many of them lacked the depth I'd have liked.

I have to say that it was refreshing to read a book which I knew little about (I didn't take any notice of the surrounding hype when it was released), and which I found unpredictable.

For some reason I'm finding this review hard to write, perhaps that's because this book was enjoyable, but I can't put my finger on why!

Lent to me by Liz
3rd - 15th Sept 2010