Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo

Paperback, 272 pages
Published January 1st 2010 by Penguin Books (first published January 22nd 2009)
ISBN 0141031522 (ISBN13: 9780141031521)

Blurb: "What if the history of the transatlantic slave trade had been reversed and Africans had enslaved Europeans? How would that have changed the ways that people justified their inhuman behavior? How would it inform our cultural attitudes and the insidious racism that still lingers today? We see this tragicomic world turned upside down through the eyes of Doris, an Englishwoman enslaved and taken to the New World, movingly recounting experiences of tremendous hardship and the dreams of the people she has left behind, all while journeying toward an escape into freedom.
A poignant and dramatic story grounded in provocative ideas, "Blonde Roots" is a genuinely original, profoundly imaginative novel."

I was really intrigued when I read the blurb of this book, I thought it would be really interesting and moving but I was really disappointed by it. While it was thought-provoking and moving at times, it didn't capture my imagination in the same way that Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman did (an amazing book from what I remember, it has been quite a long time since I read it).

I thought it was clever that mid-way through the novel the narrative swapped to the opinion of Chief Kaga and it was horrifying to see how easily ideas could be twisted and people made to seem less than human simply because they are different from you. Additionally from a historical perspective it gave insight into what life as a slave may have been like from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries (although obviously some aspects would have changed and this is not a factual account).

However, I found it very confusing that the author did not leave the countries where they are in reality, she swapped Africa and Europe around and moved the Equator. This really threw me and made following the story more difficult. However, I did like the Africanised (if that's a word) London (or Londolo in the book) tube stations. However, the fact that it is meant to be set in the eighteenth century made it confusing when they had technology that seemed too modern in the book, whilst the European people were portrayed as living lives like that of the fourteenth century when the majority of the population were serfs. The story would have worked better if she had created fictional countries and made the time setting more cohesive. Although I do understand that she was trying to portray European people as less sophisticated.

While I did care about Doris' character, really wanting her to escape, and the stories of the characters were tragic and moving, there was just something missing in this book for me. It was good but unsatisfying, I can't really explain it. Also, the ending was disappointing and seemed to end quite quickly as well. This book was only a 5 out of 10 for me, it had the potential to be a lot better!

Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart

Hardcover, 323 pages
Published October 11th 2012 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published October 1st 2012)
ISBN 1444734148 (ISBN13: 9781444734140)

Miranda's introduction to the book:
"Well hello to you dear browser. Now I have your attention it would be rude if I didn't tell you a little about my literary feast. So, here is the thing: is it just me or does anyone else find that adulthood offers no refuge from the unexpected horrors, peculiar lack of physical coordination and sometimes unexplained nudity, that accompanied childhood and adolescence?

Does everybody struggle with the hazards that accompany, say, sitting elegantly on a bar stool; using chopsticks; pretending to understand the bank crisis; pedicures - surely it's plain wrong for a stranger to fondle your feet? Or is it just me?

I am proud to say I have a wealth of awkward experiences - from school days to life as an office temp - and here I offer my 18-year-old self (and I hope you too dear reader) some much needed caution and guidance on how to navigate life's rocky path.

Because frankly where is the manual? The much needed manual to life. Well, fret not, for this is my attempt at one and let's call it, because it's fun, a Miran-ual. I thank you.

Miranda Hart made her mark appearing in shows including Smack the Pony, Absolutely Fabulous and Not Going Out. But when her sitcom Miranda burst on to our screens in 2009, her popularity rocketed. Miranda has since been crowned the Queen of Comedy at the British Comedy Awards and the hit series Miranda has won two further comedy awards, two RTS Awards, and been nominated for four BAFTAs. Miranda is currently filming a drama for BBC based on the bestselling memoir Call the Midwife. The third series of Miranda will air in autumn 2012."

For this review, I have decided to take a leaf out of Miranda's book, her Miranual, and address you as My Dear Reader Chum, which seems very fitting in the circumstances as I am guessing that looking at my blog you love reading too, hurrah!

So, My Dear Reader Chum, as anyone who read my post for the Liebster blog award will know, I love Miranda, she is amazing and I would quite happily be her best friend and play snack-fishing with her (a reference to her show for those who are confused). Reading her book was just like watching her in her show - her writing is the same as the way she speaks. You can really feel her enthusiasm and positivity about making the world a better place, even when you're feeling down. The book is funny and thought-provoking at the same time.

I wasn't sure if I would like her conversations with her younger self in the book but they definitely grew on me as the book progressed. Although occasionally I thought the conversations could have been a little shorter.

I really liked Miranda's pit stops in the book. This, MDRC, was where she took a breather from the main content of the book to create a checklist of the really random things that she does to see if you have done any of them too. I could tick off quite a lot of them, which is a little worrying but also weirdly makes me feel proud of myself for my clumsiness and occasional social awkwardness!

Miranda covers the following topics in her book: Life, music, hobbies, office life (she comes up with great office games, I fully support the idea of everyone leaving the office at lunch to play hopscotch outside), technology, beauty, bodies, exercise, diets, health, holidays, christmas, dogs, mothers and children, dating, weddings, culture, and dreams. So she clearly covers most aspects of life, although books were sadly missing!

As well as being really funny, Miranda makes some really astute observations in her book aswell. I love that she so fully supports being true to yourself and encourages you to follow your dreams. Her chapter on diets is brilliant, she writes:

"I have written the only diet book that I believe needs to exist, and here it is:
Chapter One: Eat a bit less.
Chapter Two: Move about a bit more.
The End."

This is so true. I think all of the diet books that exist today are just ridiculous really.

There are so many great things about this book, and I can't even remember all the times I sat there reading and thinking, yes definitely and phew, it's not just me, whenever Miranda asked "Is it just me?" All I can really do MDRC is recommend you read it, both for a giggle and to feel better about life.

Overall, MDRC, I would have to reply to Miranda that no, it is definitely not just her!

8 out of 10 :)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Paperback, 316 pages
Published January 3rd 2013 by Puffin Books (first published November 2011)
ISBN 0141345659 (ISBN13: 9780141345659)

Synopsis: "Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love."

This book is like an emotional tsunami that leaves you feeling bruised and raw at the end of it. I had to stop myself from crying in the middle of a crowded train while reading it. It's the sort of book that changes you and as you finish you don't think you will ever recover from it. I fell in love with the characters and felt like I was there with them through their struggles. I wish I could be as strong and witty as they are. I have never been in their situation but this book makes me want to live life to the fullest, because you never know what is going to happen next. It makes me want to be brave.

I now want to read everything John Green has ever written and I want him to write more and deliver it immediately to my door.

I could not find anything to dislike about this book, apart from never wanting it to end. However, I just want to say I understand that it is fictional and that this does not fully represent real-life cancer experiences. I just know that it meant a lot to me. It is simply amazing, I can't say any more. 10 out of 10.

Crossed by Ally Condie

Paperback, 375 pages
Published 2012 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin (first published November 1st 2011)
ISBN 9780141340104

"The Society chooses everything.
The books you read. The music you listen to. The person you love.

Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems... A rebellion is rising.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything."

This was a bit of a transition book. A lot happened in it and you learnt a lot about the characters, with more characters being introduced who added interesting dynamics to the story. But at the same time, you could sense that it was really building up to the final book in the trilogy, which should be exciting, although I have no idea what is going to happen. I'm enjoying the series as it is not always immediately apparent what the characters are going to choose to do, not because they aren't well developed, but because they are in difficult situations and the author makes it clear that they have conflicting emotions about the events that take place in this book.

I enjoyed reading parts of the story from Ky's point of view, these gave a lot more insight into his history and his character. I also really liked the conflicting opinions on the rebellion and what it could mean for each character. There was also more information about the history of the Society and how it started, with some people choosing to live outside of it and who are posing a threat to the Society in this book.

I really liked this book, but I think that the next one will be better. I would give this 7 out of 10.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Paperback, 1024 pages
Published 1993 by Wordsworth Editions (first published 1865)
ISBN 1853260622 (ISBN13: 9781853260629)

"This title is translated by Louise & Aylmer Maude. With an Introduction by Henry and Olga Claridge, University of Kent at Canterbury, "War and Peace" is a vast epic centred on Napoleon's war with Russia. While it expresses Tolstoy's view that history is an inexorable process which man cannot influence, he peoples his great novel with a cast of over five hundred characters. Three of these, the artless and delightful Natasha Rostov, the world-weary Prince Andrew Bolkonsky and the idealistic Pierre Bezukhov illustrate Tolstoy's philosophy in this novel of unquestioned mastery. This translation is one which received Tolstoy's approval."

Well frankly, I did question the mastery of this one, I really had to force myself to finish it. It had moments of being ok, when I would think aha we're getting somewhere, but then it would drift back into mindnumbing information. As Tolstoy, himself said, this really isn't a novel, it is an 'it', of astoundingly frustrating proportions - my words, not his. Most of the time I wanted to burn it and I imagined various violent deaths for Tolstoy to prevent him from writing it, but sadly he has long been deceased. Similarly, I wanted to smack most of his characters round the head, the men for being stupid and the women for being vapid (haha that rhymes) and genuinely, I am not normally a violent person at all.

If you do decide to read it, don't bother with the second epilogue unless you want to read more of Tolstoy's ideas about history and causality in a seemingly never-ending waffle of questions and what-ifs.

Saying all this, I am proud to say that I have read it, and even more so to say that I finished it! I will give this 3 out of 10. The only reason it gets more than one is that Tolstoy was clearly very clever, so possibly if you enjoy reading a myriad of theoretical ideas about war then you might enjoy it. Also, as a history graduate I did find it interesting to learn a little more about the Russian war, defending against French invasion, the way it was written just did not appeal to me at all. It probably didn't help that I read this just after I finished my degree, I probably should have read it when I had recovered. Nevertheless, I'm never reading it again!