Stephen King ' The Dark Tower - The Drawing of the Three'

The second book in the 'Dark Tower' Series by Stephen King.

King fans are, it appears to be, clearly devided when it comes to the 'Dark Tower' series. They either love them (best of all the King's books), or hate them (Really can't get into them). I sort of joined the latter group, and had trouble getting into the first part. it is just a lot more fantasy than your usual King 'Small Town America' horror. So, I guess, if you are not into fantasy, you might not enjoy it as much as, lets say 'It'. Saying that, the supernatural plays a part in almost all of King's work, so it is certainly worth giving the 'Dark Tower' series a go, and certainly a must if you are a big King fan like me.

'The Drawing of the Three' continues with the story of Roland, the Last Gunslinger, introduced in the first of the series. He continues his journey across the 'Mid-World',  this fantasy world created by King, in his quest to reach the 'Dark Tower'. Here, he finds three doors which will lead him into modern day New York, and he will meet 3 people who will play an important part in his continous journey - the defiant Eddie Dean, the courageous, volatile Odetta Holmes and serial killer Jack Mort.It is this link to modern days which made this book much more interesting for me, und King's ability to draw with words is just, as always, outstanding - here weaving fantasy worlds with modern day gritty realism.

(parts taken from blurp).

Sophie Kinsella 'Can you keep a secret'

 I've got some many books still stacked up here on my windowsill, ready to be reviewed. Read most of them ages ago... So I better make a start with this one. I have to say - I haven't joined the E-book revolution yet (i.e. Kindle). Firstly, I don't really like the feel of holding this min-laptop device and reading a book on it, clicking a button to go to the next page. I don't know, can't really describe, but I have to turn a books page when I read to get my enjoyment out of reading a good book. Maybe I will have to try it for a while... no doubt technology will go more and more forward, and one day there won't be any more print books, or they will be the exemption, so than it is not a big deal for me, but in the meantime I shall stick to a good old-fashioned book. Also, I've got over 100 books still on the shelf, waiting to be read, and all my Stephen King Books are the old-fashioned type, so I don't want to download them again!

So, chick lit time. Yes, I admit, chick lit is my guilty pleasure ever know and again. And Sophie Kinsella does it to a 'Tee' as they say. in 'Can you keep a Secret' we meet Emma. She works in the marketing department of a soft drinks company, and in the first chapter, gets send to an important business meeting to proof her worth. well, it's hilarious, she hasn't got a clue and just gets everything wrong, but it's also a wonderful caricature of those so-called more serious characters in 'business' life. On the way back from her meeting, sitting in a plane, during a few turbulences, she thinks the plane is going to crash and spills all her secrets to the (goodlooking ehmmm) stranger sitting next to her. Not life-changing, horrible secrets, but the little secrets which we all have at some stage i.g. bra cup size, lying on your CV, feeding orange juice to the plant of that colleague you really hate etc. Only, the stranger isn't really a stranger at all, and when Emma comes back to work the next day she finds out that he is the Company's mega-rich executive. the comedy from this is great, and it makes a perfect train-commute or beach read.

Stephen King 'The Bachman Books'

In the late 1970'/early 1980's, Stephen King wrote a few novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, according to him mainly as an experiement to see if his books are liked only because they are from 'the Stephen King' or whether even if published under a completely unknown name, still would have commercial success. Well, his cover was blown and Bachman 'outed' as King. Nonethe less, the 4 Bachman stories in this compilation are a must for every King fan.

RAGE - a high school teenager becomes a gang-of-one in a terrifying display of rebellion.

THE LONG WALK - A chilling look at the ultra-conservative America of the future, where a gruelling 450 mile marathon is the ultimate sports competition - my favourite of this story compilation.

ROADWORK - An immovable man refuses to surrender to the irresisteble forces of progress.

THE RUNNING MAN - a macabre tale of the future's favourite TV gam show, where contestants risk death at the hands of hunters to win a billion dollar jackpot. This was made into a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, but as so often, the book differs slighlty in the story, and well worth reading even if you know the movie.

Julie Gregory 'Sickened'

A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor's examination table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she's tall, skinny and weak. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open heart surgery on her child to 'get to the bottom of this'. She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.

From early childhood, Julie Gregory was continually X-rated, medicated and operated on in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother's mind: Munchausen by Proxy, the world's most hidden and dangerous form of childhood abuse. Sickened is her story,

Stephen King 'Desperation'

Welcome to Desperation. Once a thriving copper mining town in the middle of the Nevada desert, Desperation is now eerily abandoned. Except for the local cop - the unique regulator who patrols the wilderness highway where travellers like the Carver family bound for vacation and writer Johnny Marinville astride his Harley don't expect to get stopped and charged. Very soon, a mix of people, unlucky enough to drive through Desperation, find themselves in the town's jail, locked up by a Cop who is more than strange, and they realise that sure not all seems 'normal' in this abandoned town.

A true Stephen King story, with different characters thrown together to fight an unseen and unknown evil which seem to plant itself into peoples heads and take over - physically and mentally. This kept me entertained on every single page, and is in King's tradition of such books as 'The Stand'. It has also been made into a movie (or TV series? not sure) which I haven't watched, as I'm usually a bit disappointed by the TV adaptations. It's just that I prefer to be sucked into the book as King usually manages with me.

Gregg Hurwitz 'Ever feel you're being watched?'

A man wakes up in a hospital bed. A detective is standing over him with a crime scene photo - a particularly gruesome photo, showing the blooding dead body of a woman. And than the man's world falls to pieces, as the detective tells him that h is in hospital recovering from a brain haemorrhage, and that whilst suffering a seizure brought on by the haemorrhage he murdered his ex-finacee.

BookCrossing / Sara Payne 'A mother's story'

A biography / memoir. Ghostwritten, but very thoughtful, an insight into the immense pain and devastation felt by the family of tragic 8 year old Sarah Payne.

It is a very factual account, telling us firstly about the Payne family - ordinary and by no means perfect, but so much love for their children above everything else. Then the tragic events - Sarah's disappearene and murder - and the aftermath including the hunt to the killer and eventually the realisation that he was somone living close by and a well known offender. Trying to continue with life, the breakdown of their marriage...Sara Payne come across as a woman who managed to find extraordinary inner strengh after her daughters murder, which she channels to fight for Sarah's Law (a law which would allow people to have the right if a known paedophile lives in their area).

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Well, this book is the first I will release in the 'wild' with book crossing ;-)) I did join Book Crossing quite some time ago, but never actually released any books. Space is just too limited, and I can't possibly keep all the books I'm reading, so I thought this is a good idea. I also like the idea of a 'world wide library' and to see where my books end up - if I ever get to see it. My favourite books I shall keep ;-))If not, never mind, I hope at least someone else will enjoy it. So, my books will be released on the train Dartford - London Bridge.

Stephen King 'Misery'

StephenKing tells a story again from the eyes of a writer in his unique sense of horror.

Paul Sheldon is a commercial successful writer. He grew to detest his most famous creation - Misery Chastain - heroine of rather corny romance stories. She made him rich but turned him - in his opinion, in a writer without creati,ve juices flowing, boring samey work. But Misery Chaistain has a big fan base .... So when Paul has a car accident during a fierce snow storm, his number one fan Annie rescues him and takes him to her remote house. Annie starts to nurse him back to health, and even though Annie used to be a nurse, the word doesn't seem appropriate for her, indeed she has quite a few secrets which Paul will eventually discover. And Annie's motive is not entirely humanitarian.

When Annie finds out that Paul has killed of Misery Chastain in his latest novel in order to finally escape her, Annie is not at all pleased, indeed, she forces Paul to change the story to 're-surrect' Misery. And Annie certainly has her ways to make sure Paul does exactly what she wants - it's not at all Florence Nightingale at all. Paul finally realises that there is only one way he can come out of this alive - he needs to escape by any means, broken/  missing limbs or not.

Hope Edelman 'Motherless Daughters'

I got this book out of the library and had planned to read it in connection with my job, as I am dealing with the bereaved in my job. I found this book often too emotional to read and found it very hard to detach myself, couldn't help but think that one day I will be 'the one' (Luckily, I still have my mum). While I usually find it easy to detach myself from the subject at work, it was harder here, and I'm not sure it helped me a lot with my work, as I found it just upsetting. We usually get taught 'Show empathy, not pity', and that's what I try to do. I suppose if you are a bereaved daughter the book might help you  to see that you are not alone and many others feel in a similar way.

From the blurp:

' For all women who have lost their mohers and who have looked for comfort and understanding, here at last is a brave and powerful book offering experience and insight. Ask any women who has lost her mother at an early (or any) age and she will tell you that her life is irrevocably altered: that this one fact forever changes who she is and who she will be. This is the first book that examines the profound effects of this loss on a woman's identity, personality, family, and life choices both immediately and as her life goes on.

Hope Edelman lost her own mother when she was seventeen. Her own story is interwoven with those of many others keen to share their common experience. In their own words they express how growing up without a mother continues to affect them in so many ways. Powerful and illuminating, it is a book which helps motherless women everywhere understand they are not alone'.

Jilly Cooper 'Emily'

Published by Arlington Books in 1975.

I have read this quite some time ago and can't really remember all the details any more, so I shall copy the blurp. It is an easy and enjoyable read, 160 pages, ideal for communting.

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If Emily hadn't gone to Annie Richmond's party, she would never have met the impossible irresistible Rory Balniel - never have married him and been carried off to the wild Scottish Island of Irasa to live in his ancestral home along with his eccentric mother, Coco and the dog, Walter Scott. She'd never have met the wild and mysterious Marina, a wraith from Rory's past, nor her brother, the disagreeable Finn Maclean; never have spend a night in a haunted highland castle, or been caught stealing roses in a see-through nightie... Yes, it all started at Annie Richmond's party.

Judith Krantz 'Spring Collection'

                                                            

                                                        

This week's book comes from the world of fashion, which is rather appropriate with the sad passing of designer Alexander McQueen (personally, I am not into Haute Couture). The book was published in 1996. It falls for me into the category of 'chick lit', even though I think the term was probably not really used by the time this was published. But it is what 'chick lit' is all about for me - easy to read, 'female' topics (OK,  I think I am patronising here, what is a female topic?, and anyway, many of the big fashion designers are male). But back to the book.

Justine owns a model agency in New York. Somewhat surprisingly, 3 of the models on her books win a 'contest' to go to Paris to present the collection of a new and upcoming designer, Marco Lombardi. Others in the fashion world are surprised that 3 of her models are chosen for this exquisite job, but Justine is not SPOILER- as Lombardi's billionaire backer is her father, Jacques Necker, who has left her mother before Justine was even born. Not surprisingly, Justine detests him. The book tells really 5 different stories - the story of Justine, her PA Frankie and the individual stories of the 3 chosen models, all very different and all with their own little stories to tell. All of their lives will be changes by the adventures in Paris and Manhattan, some (most!) will find love by the end of the book as it is expected, but it is still told with a lot of entertainment value.

One of the 'funny' things for me was the mental picture I had in my head of Marco Lombardi (who SPOILER - emerges as quite an unpleasant character). Isn't it funny how we paint a mental picture of book characters in our mind - that is for sure one of the great things about reading a book.

John Pearson 'The Profession of Violence - The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins'

When I first came to the UK in 1993 I moved to East London (Walthamstow) and lived in the area (Walthamstow and Leytonstone) for the next 10 years. In October 2000 I saw the burial procession of Reggie Kray through Walthamstow. As I am not native to the area, I didn't really know anything about the Kray brothers, so when I saw this book in a charity shop I thought it would be good to 'educate' myself on those two. I like to read 'real-life- crime stories in general.

The Kray twins were 'the original East End villains', ruling London's East End of the 1950's and 60's . Born in 1933 in Hoxton, East London, from an early age, they were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, violent assaults including torture and finally, murders. The book outlines their early life including information on their parents and grandparents and their rise through the ranks of the criminals of London's East End. There were many things I didn't know - not having read a lot about them before - e.g. that Ronnie suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, Ronnie being gay which he was apparently quite open about and despite general hostility in society towars gays at the time, he was accepted within the criminal world as such.  

The book very much keeps to the facts without being judgemental, which I prefer in 'real-life' crime books, thus completely overcoming the devide opinion about the Kray twins - vicious villans or glamourous gangsters.

Stephen King 'Cell'

30.01.2010 / Another one from my favourite writer - published in 2006, paperback in 2007.

The novel starts with a situation all of us can associate easily with - using a mobile phone. Clayton Riddle is a book illustrator, about to complete an important deal. He is about to get an icecream in the centre of Boston when strange things start to happen. People appear to randomly attack each other voraciously. An event known as 'The Pulse' takes place - signals transmitted via the mobile phone which turns people into mindless and violent zombies. Clayton faces a race across town and country in order to safe his son Johnny. On his journey, he picks up a selection of friends and they battle together, as we have seen so often in previous King-stories such as The Stand. . Eventually, they 'non-phoners' are 'ordered' to gather in a place in Northern Maine. Clayton eventually finds his son, and he appears to be effected. Will Clayton and his friends manage to destroy the 'phonies' and will the world eventually return to normal? I;m not going to give it away here.

For me, the book certainly wasn't on the scale of 'The Stand', and I seem to be missing King's usual small town American folks, and even though there are several references to previous books mentioned on Wiki, I think they are not as obvious, and I miss it a bit. I can't put my finger to it, but it just didn't read like the usual 'older' King stories. Also, there seems to be no explanation for the 'pulse', just that it happened, even though there is reference to terrorism (this book obviously being written past 9/11 America. I very much do like the ending of the book when King sort of leaves it open whether Clayton does or does not saves his son and retrurns him to 'normal'. Apparently, King has written in an Internet forum that it is pretty obvious that things do turn out ok for Clayton and his son, or are they?

Susanne Jaffe 'The other Anne Fletcher'

Friday, 25. September 2009 

Annie Fletcher is a successful, up-and-coming book author, confident, happy with life. The other - Anne Fletcher - is a failed author, unhappy with every aspect of life. First, flowers are being delivered for Annie mistakingly to her, and than mail for Annie is landing on her doorstep by chance - and jelousy on the other Anne Fletcher is eating her up. And than her man, Arthur, whom she is not really interested in her twisted ways anyway, meets the other Annie Fletcher, and Anne will do anything do destroy Annie.

Confused with Anne - Annie? Its not difficult to separate them because both characters are drawn out to be so differently, sometimes in a OTT way. Maybe not the most thrilling book I ever read, but good for the train journey home with not too much brain engaging needed.

Amazon had no picture on this paperback - sorry!

Dean Koontz 'Fear Nothing'

Christopher Snow is an 'Xper' - he suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum which means his skin and eyes cannot be exposed to the sunlight. Christopher lives his life during night hours, but with the help of his family and friends, he lives life to the full and refuses to bow down to the limitations put on by nature. Christopher lives in Moonlight Bay, a small town by sea. And as he and his trustworthy dog walk the town by night, they discover strange 'going ons', strange creatures. And it will be up to Christopher to rescure Moonlight Bay. Christopher is a very likable hero, and I certainly feared with him.

Jackie Collins 'Lovers and gamblers'

Right, here it goes again, I've read so many books since I've last reviewed, and there are all sitting on my pile here.

Sexy and wild without being unpleasantly 'dirrty', I like Collins' style. As with her other books, we find ourselves in the world of Hollywood stars and starlets, film premieres, models and everything in between. Lovers and Gamblers is essentially the story of Al King, and aging soul and rock star who does the whole sex, drugs n rock'n' roll thingy, and plenty of women thrown in for the fun of it. But inside, of course, Al's got a good heart and I quickly warmed to him as the 'hero' of the story despite his womanising antics. And than there is Dallas (what a name btw!), a model / actress with a dodgy past which she would like to keep secret. Initially separate stories, Al and Dallas will meet, but not the way Al likes to have it. Her character's well drawn out without being too much OTT (indeed she manages this even with cliched stuff like Hollywood, models, rockstars). The story is fast-paced, funny and never boring and the 600 pages will fly by.

Not an easy read...and not something I would normally pick up. It came as a 'freebie' with some other books from the book club, and I generally try not to restrict my reading, so I would give almost everything a go.
John Diamond, the author of this book and a profilic journalist and broadcaster in the UK, is terminally ill with cancer, and actually dies before he was able to finish his book on 'Complimentary medicince' of which he writes critically about - it is fair to say he is not a believer in complimentary medicine. His brother-in-law writes the foreword, and also includes as the 'second part' of the unfinshed book, John's columns from several UK newspapers (The Times, The Jewish Cronicle etc). He tells the 'story' of his cancer - how he gets first diagnosed, thinking it is probably nothing etc, to the treatments and eventually having to face death, quite literally. Of course, it is sad to read, but also gives out vibes of a very positive person.

Zadie Smith 'The Autograph Man'

Alex-Li Tandem sells autographs - a small blip in a huge worldwide network of desires. It is his business to hunt for names on paper, collect them, sell tham, occasionally fake them, and all to give people what they want: a little piece of fame. But what does Alex want? Only the return of his father, the reinstatement of some kind of all-powerful benevolent God-type figure, the end of religion, somthing for his headache, three different girls, infinitie grace and the rare autograph of forties movie actress Kitty Alexander. With fries.

The Autograph Man is a deeply funny, existential tour arond the hollow things of modernity - celebrity, cinema and the ugly triumph of symbol over experience. Through London and then New York, Alex is sent on a paper-trail, searching for the only authograph that ever matered to him, resisting the mystcical lure of Kabbalah and Zen, and avoiding all collectors, conmen and interfering Rabbis who would put themselves in his path. Pushing against the tide of his generation, Alex-Li is on his way to finding enlightenment, otherwise known as some part of himself that cannot be signed, celebrated or sold.

Necla Kelek 'Die fremde Braut'

This is a German non-fiction book which really opened my eyes regarding the 'multi-cultural' society and integration. The title translates roughly into 'The foreign Bride', but the word 'fremde' in German is also equivalent with 'estranged'. Kelek, a Turkish lady living in Germany, why integration of Turkish people into German society is proving so difficult, and ultimately, appears not to work. I have to say that personally, I am a firm believer in multi-cultural society, and do not like segregation at all, for example, personally, I wouldn't agree to faith-schools. I could never quite understand why , for example, Turkish people living in Germany don't really want to have anything to do with Germans ( I had personal experience of this, and as a firm believer of multi-culturalism and married in a multi-faith marriage myself, I felt quite insulted when I was told by a Turkish young woman that her family would not allow her to go into the house of a German woman).

Kelek shows the deep roots in culture, going way back to the home-country. I can image that the book was very controversial in Germany. I can just hope that, one day, we can all live peacefully together. In the words of John Lennon 'Image' : Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I maybe I'm not the only one.

Marley & me

'life and love with the world's worst dog'

The movie is out now, but I was determined to read the book before I go to see the movie - I'm so glad I did. My co-worker's girlfriend lend me the book, and what a wonderful read. Well, it obviously helped that we do have a dog - and a yellow labrador even. John Grogan writes with a wonderful wit which is just absolutely refreshing to read without being soppy. He writes about his adventures with Marley, a yellow labrador. I was reading in the train and found myself literally laughing out loud - a cardinal sin on a morning communter train LOL. As our own Labrador, Bonnie, is only 3 years old now, I also found it very interesting moving to read about how Marley got older and infirm, eventually very infirm.

The story is simple enough - and the title sums it up : 'Life and Love with Marley'. John and Jenny, just beginning thier life together, were young and deeply in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Than they brought home Marley, a wigly yellow furall of a puppy.

Life would never be the same.

Marley quickly grew up into a do like no other, an unstoppable ninety-seven pound steamroller of a Labrador. He crashed through sreen doors, stole women's underwear, and ate anything he could get his mouth round - including furniture and fine jewellery. Marley was expelled from obedience school. Even prescription tranquillizers from the vet couldn't stop him.

And yet Marley's heart was pure. He shared John and Jenny's happiness at their first pregnancy, and their heartbreak when Jenny miscarried. He was theire wehn babies arrieved and when a girl was attacked in the neighbourhood. He managed to get a public beach shut and caused chaos when he landed a role in a film. Through it all, he won hearts and remained a steadfast model of devotion to his family, even when they were at their wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.