What have I read? Marathon catch-up!

Hallo all! Thank you for recent loveliness regarding posts- and a big hello to all the explorers who found their way here and let me know! Pleasure to meet you mi hearties!

Where oh where is my camera!!!!??? I cannot find ANYTHING in my house at the moment! Everything is buried, missing, AWOL, hiding, AHRGH! I've wanted to post for a couple of days to no avail so I finally caught up with book catch up! DO let me know if you have read any of these, like them, think they're awful, want more info, or are thinking of reading them- I'd love to know if my reviews are useful as well being an opportunity for me to discipline myself in the art of saying my preferences!
34. Vikram Seth An equal music.
As a classical musician who has played in String quartets, I had a lot of knowledge pertaining to the context of this story. It is a love story- the story of Michael (violinist) and Julia (pianist). A mystery unravels from the beginning- just why did they split up when he is obviously still in love with her but having no idea where she now is since he left her. The story continues with a chance sighting of Julia and what happens when their lives cross again. All is not as it seems. We are party to Michael's thoughts, regrets and hopes and rejoice and commiserate with him as he faces the challenges of his life. This is not a simple story and it's one of 'those book's that doesn't end the way I want it to but it is beatiful. You gain a wonderful flavour of places, a good understanding of the music world and your heart beats with Michael's. There are some strange moments, but this author is very clever- he really gets into your mind.

35. Christina Jordis Bali Java in my dreams
Dull and not engaging I should like this considering my link to Indonesia but I must confess I have abandoned this half way. Will return to this when I finally persuade myself to pick it up again, as a dear relative bought it for me (and find the carrier bag it is in!). I will not be defeated!

36. Lorna Hill Masquerade at the Wells

I adored the first two books in the 'Sadler Wells school for ballet' series. My sister, who once upon a time wanted to be a ballet dancer (she was very good) was bought these. I had no idea there were more in the series. I found these (3 all in all) in the Barter Books secondhand shop in Alnwick quite by chance as I was hovering by the children's paperback classics whilst waiting for CBC to finish browsing. How could I resist the opportunity to hark back to my childhood, read books in a series that I had never read? (I am a little obsessive over reading ALL the books in a series or by an author if I love them. Enid Blyton hello, you are still amazing me!)

All these books follow a formula. Beware if you want a mystery or something less predictable, this might not happen for you. The books are rather lovely in that they are nearly all set in Northumberland at the beginning and places I know are featured. They follow the trials, dilemmas, delights and successes of young girls who have a gift and penchant for ballet and how they end up at Sadlers Wells ballet school. Familiar characters from the earlier books, Veronica Weston, Sebastian and others (depending on the book you read) all crop up, establishing her own world.

In this book, Jane and Mariella, cousins, are stuck with the opposite situations to what they want- Jane's mum loves horse-riding and her life is one long Gymkhana (which she detests) and Mariella's is ballet, ballet, ballet (her mum was a famous dancer). When they meet and spend time together, they learn from each other. It isn't until Jane comes to stay in London 2 years after their first meeting, now an accomplished dancer, that they conceive the daring idea of Jane taking Mariella's place in an audition for the Sadler's wells ballet school. Predictably, Jane gets in and then proves herself! A lovely nostalgic read!

One for girls who love dancing!

37. Lorna Hill Return to the Wells
Further on in the series, we meet Ella, who has spent some years at the Wells school. However, we also meet previous characters Mariella and others and it is all about them forming loves and relationships as well as Ella, meeting someone who loves her and her fight to come back from illness. Interestingly, a large section of this book is set in Switzerland with her convalescence time which has some interestingly far-fetched events! Again, a lovely, nostalic read.

38. Gillian Cross Facing the demon headmaster
More nostalgic reading. I love Gillian Cross. As a child, I read and reread The Demon Headmaster and The Primeminister's brain and LONGED for sequels. She obliged many years later in my adult life. This is the last one I hadn't read, purchased in Richard Booth books in Hay-on-Wye, last month. Dinah Hunter and SPLAT face another 'craze' where children are really getting into some trend or other (quite formulaic, but children love formulas in book writing! And I confess, me too!) . In this case, it's a club called Purple and a masked man called DJ Pardoman. Interestingly, it touches a little on Dinah Hunter's past before living with the Hunters, which made for an interesting read, and I wasn't sure where this one was going. We also saw the Headmaster being a vindictive and revengeful towards the children proving he does have SOME emotions! A great read!
39. Alexander McCall Smith Love over Scotland. (44 Scotland street series)
Oh if only you were 30 and not married, I would love you Mr McCall Smith. I LOVE his writing so much! The book touches upon the lives of regulars in his previous books- Pat, Matthew, Dominica, Stuart, Irene and Bertie Pollock, Big Mo, Angus and Cyril the dog (who gets his own misadventure) and introduces new regular, Antonia. Bertie has a wonderful adventure in Paris, Irene is mother is as toxic, insensitive and overbearing as ever and one-off criminal from the 2nd book, Lard O'Connor makes an interesting, amusing and somewhat foreboding appearance. I hate to tell you anything more about this as I want you to find out for yourself by reading it!!! Sheer brilliance. Can be read in one fell swoop or put down and picked up!

I learnt 2 new words in this book (saddo I am, who looks words up in the dictionary and writes them down to remember in future books and to use at a later date)

retrousse (adj): turned up at the tip (nose)
lambent (adj): (of flame or light) playing on a surface without burning it, with soft radiance, softly radiant, lightly brilliant. (love this meaning!!!!!)

This book didn't fail to disappoint and it had a new romance in it which I was hoping would happen. I love books which meet my expectations/wants!
40. Robert Mandelburg The Case of the Curious Campaign - a whodunit of many mini-mysteries.
This is sheer genius! If your child has issues with comprehension, I would say this is a great book for getting them to read for clues in the story to infer things. It is split into 16 mini chapters which have a little mystery for you the reader to fathom, turning detective (us wannabee Poirots! I guessed many of them right!) before the denouement in the final chapter unravelling the whole mystery! Fun and fab I think for children! Give it a go! I've recommended it to my headteacher for her children's bookclub!
41. Lorna Hill Ella at the Wells.
I loved this one- definitely a real Cinderella story. Another in the Sadlers wells series, which preceeds Return to the Wells. I love the real insight into a poorer but respectable household in vintage Nortumberland! Very exciting and I loved Mariella realising what a total meanie her cousin Nigel is!

I think I enjoyed this one most out of the Wells books. Definitely a Cinderella book! (and if you have read any of the books that I have read in past years- you will notice a certain propensity towards Cinderella stories!)
42. Piers Moore Ede Honey and Dust: Travels in Search of Sweetness
I bought this as my Grandfather is a bee-keeper and despite my not really liking honey, I am fascinated by the whole process. It was a wonderfully interesting read, plotting the exploits of this man after he had a horrific cycling accident and travelled round the world seeking wild honey and coming to terms with his new self. You gain a wonderful flavour of some very remote parts of the world, a fascinating insight into the production of honey and a very appealing author. Well worth reading despite it being non-fiction (not my usual liking).

Images are from www.amazon.co.uk thank you for them!