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Good Reading : June 2012
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Gold Chris Cleave Icannot recommend this book highly enough. The challenge in writing a review of it lies in figuring out how much of the plot to give away to potential readers. If, for example, I had known it was going to be about Olympic athletes I wouldn’t have touched it, and what a loss that would have been. But more than that, the book turned out to be utterly compelling because you don’t know how it’s going to end, and you don’t realise at first just how complicated the relationship between the three main protagonists – Zoe, Kate and Jack – really is. The novel explores friendship, grief, ambition and love in its myriad forms with a lightness and a truthfulness that had me absorbed and deeply connected to its characters from the first page to the last. For me, it represents the best kind of storytelling: it made me care, and it challenged and entertained me. One of Chris Cleave’s special talents is getting into the head of a child (who could forget Charlie, the Batman-obsessed boy from The Other Hand?) and he does it with heartbreaking realism with the character of Sophie, the tomboy Star Wars freak and the moral core of the novel. This book will be a stand-by gift for all my friends’ birthdays this year. Sceptre $32.99 e Reviewed by Sarah Minns Capital John Lanchester It might have been a decade since John Lanchester’s last novel, but those in doubt need not worry: he has lost none of his skills and readers of his latest work are certainly in safe hands. Capital is an epic, insightful and at times humorous story set in 2007 on Pepys Road, London. Living in this neighbourhood is, writes Lanchester, ‘like being in a casino in which you were guaranteed to be a winner’. Here live an assortment of characters, such as 40-year-old Roger Yount, ‘a man to whom everything in life has come easily’, as well as more colourful sorts including Smitty, a bad-boy provocateur of the art world; teenage football star Freddy Kamo; and shop owner, Ahmed Kamal. Throughout the 570 pages, Lanchester does a good job of weaving together the threads of these different characters in his exploration of wealth and the state of the nation. Of course, such a lengthy story is bound to drag in parts, and certain characters will be more engaging than others. What makes Capital so appealing is that it is a book for its times. It tackles the global financial crisis that changed so many lives and countries, and it’s a reminder of the power that capitalism has over us. Faber $29.99 e Reviewed by Mitchell Jordan The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Rachel Joyce Harold Fry nev er does the unexpected, having spent the past 65 years living a quiet, sheltered life. Retired six months earlier, Harold shaves every morning and puts on a tie, only to sit in the same chair, with nowhere to go, as his silently hostile wife cleans around him. One day he receives a letter from a woman in his past who tells him she is dying. After penni ng his reply, however, Harold is disappointed by the inadequacy of his response, and so he makes a snap decision to walk across England and deliver the letter himself – and save the friend he betrayed years earlier. This poignant first novel from British playwright Rachel Joyce travels into the heart of a simple man, a threadbare marriage and a splintered country, all having lost their way in a troubled, modern world. Throughout his difficult journey, Harold comes undone; it’s only by connecting with life that he discovers the sad, beautiful truth that he’s not alone, and that the world is full of ordinary people like him struggling to put one foot in front of the other. But for all the profound sorrow he encounters, it’s not a sad tale. Rather, Harold’s uplifting leap of faith suggests that new beginnings can always be found and that it’s never too late to do something extraordinary. Doubleday $32.95 e Reviewed by Meredith Lewin wordofMouth Disappointing Worth a read A good read Highly recommended Outstanding RG Recommended for reading groups TN Teachers’ notes available online e Available as an e-book Available as an audio book Here are some of the books available this month, reviewed by passionate readers, just like you. You can write your own reviews of any of the books in this section on our website and share your opinions with other gr readers. Don’t forget to check out our website for book discussion notes, teachers’ notes, first chapters and other book-related resources. Visit us at www.goodreadingmagazine.com. http://aampersanda.com/facebook http://aampersanda.com/twitter PRINT $R.R.P. $14.99 eBOOK $9.99 http://aampersanda.com/facebook http://aampersanda.com/twitter www.shortstoppress.com www.shortstoppress.com PRINT $R.R.P. $14.99 eBOOK $9.99 An uplifting, feel-good book for children who, like Lizzie, are all wonderfully unique in their own way. Lizzie the Ladybug goes on a birthday quest to find some spots. Instead of finding some, she returns with something much better! An uplifting, feel-good book for children who, like Lizzie, are all wonderfully unique in their own way. Lizzie the Ladybug goes on a birthday quest to find some spots. Instead of finding some, she returns with something much better! WWW.gOODReADIngmAgAzIne.COm Good ReadiNG June 2012 28 28_29_WOM_d.indd 28 9/5/12 8:38:38 PM
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