The Eight

I am currently reading a book called The Eight by Katherine Neville. It is kind of a Da Vinci Code type book, which refers heavily to chess and the French Revolution. It is good, but I became irritated because there were so many typos in the first section, to the extent that I thought there might actually be a secret code within the book. I haven't noticed a pattern, but who knows what will happen when I get to the end of it. Anyway, if you like chess, you might enjoy this because it links chess with music and maths, and refers to chess moves and magic squares. The descriptions of the French Revolution are quite gruesome, but it is a good read.

The Historian

Last month, I read The Historian written by Elizabeth Kostova. It was described as a story about Dracula coming after librarians. Being a librarian, I was naturally interested ;-) But the reviews didn't do the book justice. I thought that it was a really excellent book. It was very well written, with beautiful descriptions about Romania and Turkey. Although it is being marketed as a popular book, which for me usually means quick and easy to read, I found that it was full of really interesting historical information. The descriptions of Dracula's lair were wonderful, and it was a really enjoyable book.

Road to Avonlea

I am just reading The Story Girl by LM Montgomery and it is a flowing tale about a group of children living in Prince Edward Island, entertained by spellbinding stories told by one of their friends, known as the Story Girl, who tells them in an enchanting manner. The book is for youngsters, but the stories are lovely and descriptive and entirely captivating. The author, Lucy Maud Montgomery is possibly best famous for her book, Anne of Green Gables.

Labyrinth

I have just finished Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. I really enjoyed it, but I have a question for anyone else who has read it. What happened to Shelagh and who was she in the historic part of the book? Unless... was she Rixende? Please let me know. The web-site for the book is really great: http://www.mosselabyrinth.co.uk/, particularly for authors. It is well worth a look. Also for historians. I have been to Carcassonne once, and I really want to go again now, just to visit all these places. However, I imagine the book will generate a lot of extra tourism, because it is so exquisitely described. Now I have to find something else to read. The new Kazuo Ishiguro looks good, but I also have a book of short stories by LM Montgomery, who wrote Anne of Green Gables, and a children's book by Rumer Godden. Oxfam bookshops really are the best for finding these treasures!

Harry Potter

When Harry Potter first came out, I couldn't understand the fuss at all. I tried reading them, but I just couldn't get into them. I have seen the films and I loved them. During the last Christmas holidays, I decided to have another go at reading the books. I was completely hooked and have read all of them now, hence my neglect at updating this blog. I am now desperately looking for a book that will grip me as much as these have. The characters and the creatures are fantastic and I managed to escape into a lovely, magical world. I usually prefer the book to the film, but with Harry Potter, I like them both equally, and am looking forward to the next instalment. J K Rowling's website is also definitely worth looking at. It is absolutely superbly designed and great fun to explore. Another one of my favourite books is Neverending Story by Michael Ende. Again, the film is excellent, but so is the book, which is much deeper and darker. If anyone can recommend a good book, in this style, with goblins, magic, fairies and brownies, etc please let me know!

Asterix and Obelix...my heros!

I have adored Asterix and Obelix since I was a child. My mother is German, and I learnt German by speaking with her and also swapping Asterix and Obelix books with my Uncle in Germany. He used my ones to learn English and I used his to learn German. They are so amazing. The names are based on words in the language they are published. For example, Obelix stems from obelisk, Dogmatix from dogmatic and Vitalstatistix from vital statistics. This method is applied in other languages and dialects, for example Idefix is the French version of Dogmatix. Even the jokes suit the local population. They may seem like simple comic books, but they are actually very complex, clever little books, suitable for youngsters and grown-ups alike. I highly recommend them. The films are also very good, available in cartoon or with real people. Both make good use of the foreign accents. Their web-site is very good, particularly for practising language skills.

American Themes

I can't believe I have left it so long, but I have been distracted by some good books. I am currently reading "After The Rain", a story set around a restaurant in a small, rural town in Vermont. New England is another place I love to read about.

One of my favourite authors, Alice Hoffman, writes beautiful, complex stories about people and how their lives intertwine. One of her more recent books, Probable Future, developed the concept that people are not always what they seem, and her latest book, Blackbird House, focused on the lifetime of a house and the lives of the people that lived there. I really enjoy books about small town life in America, picturing their lives, comparing them to mine. Anne Tyler sets all her books in Baltimore and again tells the complex stories of people living there. The characters in all these books are so rich and alive, I get lost in them. Adriana Trigiani is another great author who writes about Italian immigrants in America, living in small towns. Again, the stories are so full of life, you can imagine everything that is happening to them, as if it was your own hometown.

Until next time....

Stories of India

Well, so much for writing everyday. Life is hectic, but I can always find time to read. When I hit 30, I started to become more interested in my roots. My background is European/Asian. I am not a great fan of factual books. I love fiction and stories, and if there is an element of fact, all the better.

At the moment I am reading Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. It paints a really vivid picture of Indian people, and I am really enjoying it. I don't know how realistic it is, but one day I will visit India and find out for myself. I like reading books by Rumer Godden, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, both of whom also paint beautiful and strong images of India.

Stories in the workplace

Stories are being used increasingly in the workplace, to share knowledge and learn from experience, whether good or bad. They are easy to understand, often quite short, and also can be very entertaining, which makes it easier to learn.

I am a keen follower of Ron Donaldson, who is the Senior Knowledge Ecologist for English Nature. He has written and presented on his experiences with storytelling and you can read one of his articles, "A Natural KM Narrative," published by Inside Knowledge, here.

Stories

I love reading and listening to stories and I have discovered some fine podcasts to enhance the experience.

Elizabeth Rose is a storyteller from America and tells engrossing stories via 'Story'cast. She has a great story-telling voice and her tales are enchanting and are a great way to escape and relax and experience another life.

Another podcast that I like is The Twain Reader, where the podcaster regularly reads sections of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

I found both of these podcasts via the iTunes Podcast Directory.

Addicted to books

It seems as though my life revolves around books. I have always loved reading, my first job was in a bookshop and then while at university I worked part-time in the library and eventually qualified as a librarian. I even met my husband over a pile of books, and fortunately, although we have different tastes in books, (he likes fact, I like fiction and complete escapism), we both share a love of reading.

But this isn't supposed to be a blog about librarians or me. I just wanted to discuss my favourite books and hopefully learn about new authors. So, what I will try to do on a regular basis is write a bit about my favourite authors and books, so watch this space.....