Book Reviews From The Bookbag
The Bookbag
Hello from The Bookbag, a book review site, featuring books from all the many walks of literary life - fiction, biography, crime, cookery and anything else that takes our fancy. At Bookbag Towers the bookbag sits at the side of the desk. It's the bag we take to the library and the bookshop. Sometimes it holds the latest releases, but at other times there'll be old favourites, books for the children, books for the home. They're sometimes our own books or books from the local library. They're often books sent to us by publishers and we promise to tell you exactly what we think about them. You might not want to read through a full review, so we'll give you a quick review which summarises what we felt about the book and tells you whether or not we think you should buy or borrow it. There are also lots of author interviews, and all sorts of top tens - all of which you can find on our features page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the recommendations page.
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Modesty Blaise - The Young Mistress by Peter O'Donnell and Enric Badia Romero
Modesty Blaise is slowly becoming like an old flame of mine – just popping back into my life every few months to regale an adventure, have a catch-up and be on her way. This latest fleeting visit shows Modesty, the most ironically-named brunette in the world of solving crime, having old flames of her own – although she calls them 'escorts'. They're prevalent in the first and title story, where her doctor lover has a patient with whip marks, which leads into a full-blown action adventure regarding art forgeries. Her American 'escort' wants to replace the doctor, but has to wait for a story all of his own, when his own prize racehorse is a target for criminals. And in the third story there are a lot of returning characters – but not all are as they might at first appear… Full review...
The Good Children by Roopa Farooki
The Saddeq family are an example of success for their friends and neighbours in Lahore. Mr Saddeq is a doctor with his own practice, sons Sully and Jakie are studying medicine in the US and UK respectively and daughters Mae and Lana have made good marriage matches. However the four 'good' children would view their success differently. Each reacts differently to the futures that their caring father and calculating mother have mapped out for them and plough their own furrows as far as they're permitted but the gravitational pull of home remains a constant through their lives and also, to some extent, for the generation that follows. Full review...
Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2014 by Stanley Gibbons
When I began collecting GB stamps back in the early seventies Collect British Stamps was my bible and I eagerly awaited each new edition. After a while I came to realise that I needed a little more depth, but not to the level provided by the Specialised Catalogue Series not least because I was still at the stage of spending the money on stamps rather than books about them. There is something to fill the gap though and that's the Great Britain Concise catalogue. It's designed to meet the needs of the dedicated amateur rather than the specialist or the casual collector and treads a very fine line between providing too much detail and too little information with elegance. Full review...
The Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Victorian England's Most Notorious Doctor by Stephen Bates
Just to fend off any accusations of a spoiler, the fate of Dr William Palmer is probably just as well-known to those with an interest in the subject as that of President Kennedy or Princess Diana. Stephen Bates’ account of ‘the Prince of Poisoners’ starts off, therefore, with an account of the proceedings on 14 June 1856 when over 30,000 people gathered outside Stafford Prison to see him keep an appointment with the hangman after being found guilty of murder. Full review...
Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston
Four years ago, a family lost their brother, their older son, their grandchild. One day he was there, and the next he was gone. Missing. Presumed kidnapped or perhaps worse. Their lives have moved on, but their hearts haven’t. Walls have gone up around them, though, to protect from the pain, the crank calls, the false leads. So when news comes that Justin Campbell has been spotted, alive and, seemingly, well, it’s quite a lot to take in. Full review...
Sherlock Holmes: Gods of War by James Lovegrove
The year is 1913 and the storm clouds of war are gathering ominously on the horizon. Most people dread the inevitable, but there are individuals who stand to gain from the oncoming conflict and will stop at nothing to facilitate their plans, even if that means murder. However, it would take a very brave (or naïve) criminal to commit such an atrocity in the neighbourhood of Mr Sherlock Holmes, even if he is supposed to be enjoying his retirement. When it comes to investigating mysterious activity, Holmes can't resist the lure of the chase and soon the game is afoot! Full review...
Department 19: Zero Hour by Will Hill
Zero Hour is approaching. Dracula has risen, betrayal has left Department 19 and their allies from across the world not knowing who they can trust, and rightly or wrongly, every hero seems to have at least one secret to keep. Valentin is away searching for his brother and Dracula, Frankenstein is coming to terms with lycanthropy, and the secrecy which the department has always relied on is becoming a thing of the past. Full review...
The Lazy Friend by Ronan Badel
In a remote jungle, near the top of the forest canopy, Sloth, Snake, Frog and Bird hang out together. Whilst his pals play cards, Sloth does what he does best, sleep. When a lumberjack fells the tree that they are sitting in, three of the friends make a hasty escape but Sloth just carries on snoozing. Luckily Snake acts fast and slithers aboard the truck carrying their tree trunk away with Sloth still in it. Can Snake save the day and get them both back home? Full review...
The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P S Duffy
Canadian sailing boat captain Angus McGrath joins the army in 1917 as a cartographer. However, the cosy London war offices are full of map makers and artists and what's more the career choice is a luxury when the high mortality rates at the front means the infantry needs constant replenishment. Angus therefore finds himself in France as a 1st lieutenant in the Canada Corps. Meanwhile his family continue their life in the small fishing village back home in Nova Scotia, his wife worrying about her brother who has been declared missing in action. Angus is ideally placed to look for him but there are also other things demanding his attention, staying alive being only one of them. Full review...
Goodbye Piccadilly by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
It's July 1914 and the world is becoming unsettled. There's fierce unrest brewing in Ireland and Sarajevo is being put on the map for all the wrong reasons. Back in England life is continuing as usual – at the moment. Viscount Dene, Charles Wroughton wants to marry for love rather than materialism. Laura Hunter is fighting for women's suffrage. As for Beattie Cazalet, her main worry is the rumour concerning the manner in which her servant Ethel is carrying on in public. All fears are about to deepen and worries put in sharp relief though: war is coming and a war like none the world has fought before. Full review...
The Time of Their Lives by Maeve Haran
The four women had been friends for over forty years. Claudia, Ella, Laura and Sal had met at university and they know each other well - or think they do. They - like me - are what I call 'upper middle aged' - those people who are technically old, but not yet prepared to accept it. They'd gone their separate ways in life but still lived close enough to meet up each month for drinks and to catch up with what was happening. To the women it was one of their strongest relationships - although some of their families thought of the group as 'the coven'. Full review...
The Cat Who Came in off the Roof by Annie M G Schmidt and David Colmer (translator)
Meet Tibble. Despite the feline-sounding name, he's a human man, and a journalist at that. But his boss at the town newspaper isn't too pleased with what product Tibble delivers – for all he seems to write about is cats. The night of his impending dismissal a cat walks in through the window of Tibble's attic flat – or it would have been a cat, a ginger called Minou, but something has turned her into a human. Enough cattish behaviour and intelligence remains however, and she soon helps Tibble out by telling him all the real news that the town's cats are privy to and have never been able to convey before. But can the very feline Minou survive in human form, and what happens when the grapevine of gossip from the cats leads to something so vital to report, but so impossible to prove? Full review...
Dead Man's Hand by John Joseph Adams (editor)
Dead Man's Hand features short stories with themes ranging from time travel and vampires to theology; at first glance it definitely appears to be an eclectic mix. These stories are linked by the genre of the weird west, which is defined by its elasticity. John Joseph Adams' helpful introduction outlines the main features of the weird west and provides a clear, insightful guide to this little-known genre. Far from being mismatched, the eclectic nature of this collection is in fact the greatest strength of the weird west genre. Unconstrained by narrow generic conventions, the authors in this collection have plundered the deepest depths of their imaginations. The result? A colourful, memorable and, above all, imaginative collection of fiction. Full review...
High and Dry by Sarah Skilton
Charlie Dixon is having a bad week. Still struggling to get over being dumped by his girlfriend, he’s turned to alcohol, and now finds himself the lead suspect in the near-fatal drug overdose of a schoolmate. Offered an alibi by an ex-girlfriend who needs him to find her a missing flash drive, he takes the chance to investigate – but quickly finds that the truth is hard to come by and a lot of people seem to have been doing some dark dealings. Can he solve the case and win the girl back? Full review...
Flora in Love: The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby by Natasha Farrant
After a shocking announcement from Bluebell’s family, Bluebell thinks everything could be turned upside down. She’s desperate for au pair Zoran to come back to them but Zoran has problems of his own – including new guitar protégé Zach. Then Zach meets Blue’s sister Flora and the two immediately hit it off, but Blue’s enthusiasm over filming everything leads to her putting her foot in it. Will Flora ever talk to her again, and when Zach goes missing, can the sisters and the rest of their family help find him? Full review...
Fallout by Sadie Jones
Have you ever been in love? Truly, madly, deeply (as the cliché has it) in love? Sincerely, selfishly, selflessly, in love?
With the wrong person?
If you haven't then you'll find Fallout an exploration of how it happens, and how we deal with it, or not. Full review...
You're the One that I Want by Giovanna Fletcher
Maddy, Rob and Ben have been friends forever. There’s nothing unusual about that in general, but it’s less common in literature, perhaps, and I can’t think of another book where two boys and a girl are the trio at the centre of a friendship. As the book starts, Maddy and Rob are about to marry, and Ben stands proudly by as their best man. Full review...
Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri
It's quite possible that Inspector Montalbano would not have been sent to investigate the perfectly-executed robberies had it not been that it was the rich, the elite of Vigata who had been targeted. Initially he was reluctant to take on the investigation but it soon became clear that it wasn't just the fact that they'd been burgled that linked the victims. And then there was Angelica... Full review...
Justice: Tainted Realm: Book 3 by Ian Irvine
The final battle. The ultimate price.
The dead, regenerated King Lyf and his Cythonian army are poised to attack as is the army of Axil Grandys, complete with the other four of the five legendary Heroes. Rix has to stop them all with the help of Tali (the escaped Pale slave), Glynnie (the ex-maid), and an army of Rix's own who would rather fight him than fight for him. As Lyf and Axil both hunger for the final master pearl that sits beneath Tali's skull, the endgame approaches. Meanwhile Tobry, former best friend of Rix and now an unpredictably dangerous Caithe shape-shifter, is still alive and without hope. Although the 10 year old Rannilt would argue with that last bit. Full review...
Skid by Roland Watson-Grant
Things have changed in the Beaumont household since they lived in the Louisiana swampland. Skid (or Terence when he's bad), his mother Valerie and brother Frico have moved to an apartment in the city. The two older brothers have left home and the lads' father is still missing, presumed dead, after he disappeared beneath the alligator-filled water back home. The city is a weird place for our hero as he becomes 16. It's just as dangerous as the swamp ever was as gangs that roam the streets seeking outsiders like Skid. Skid is realising that girls can be a problem too, although neighbourly Claire may be a bit different. She worries about him though; it seems that Skid isn't so much a name as a curse. Full review...
Sugar Hall by Tiffany Murray
Sugar Hall is a place of transitions. It has recently gained new residents – Lilia Sugar, and her children Saskia and Dieter. It has lost several portions of the estate, however – several valuable trinkets, the billiard table – as Lilia has to sell things to keep the family from poverty. But apart from things arriving and things going, there are things moving – possibly the objects left, possibly the butterfly patterns on the wallpapers. And there are things appearing – such as a lot of actual, living insects, and the naked boy who sometimes appears only as a disembodied head to the young exploring Dieter… Full review...
My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown
School can be a difficult place for children, especially if your teacher is a stomping, roaring monster like Miss Kirby. Bobby spends most of his time worrying about what to do about his monster of a teacher, and the best place for him to think about it is in the park. He goes there one day to contemplate the situation, but who does he meet? Miss Kirby! She isn't stomping or roaring though, she is feeding the ducks. Full review...
Dork Diaries: TV Star by Rachel Renee Russell
Oh dear – Nikki Maxwell is on TV. It could be worse – her younger sister or her embarrassing parents could be on TV with her, but for now it's just her. And that's a problem. Several books after surprisingly winning the school pop talent contest, Nikki and her friends get a contact with a top entertainment supremo called in, and Nikki is thrust into the limelight of reality TV, and pop boot camp. But how can she possibly juggle that, and learning martial arts at school, and keeping all her friends and boyfriend happy, and avoiding the evil Mackenzie? Full review...
How Britain Kept Calm and Carried On: Real-life stories from the Home Front by Anton Rippon
My generation is now at saturation point with 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters and all the accompanying variations. So much so, I was surprised to learn from this book was that the now ubiquitous poster was never actually distributed. The poster had been planned as part of a campaign to raise morale, but after they were printed, the government felt it would have been seen as patronising, given that Britons were doing exactly that without the government message to bolster them up. Full review...
The Marriage Game by Alison Weir
Elizabeth I ruled England for 45 years and she is widely regarded as one of our most successful monarchs. Yet controversy surrounds her. Was she legitimate or illegitimate? Why did she never marry? What was her relationship with Lord Robert Dudley? Alison Weir follows the story of her reign and gives us her own theories about the Virgin Queen and her motivations and intentions, whilst describing the colour and pageantry of the English court. It's going to be a must-read for all Tudor fanatics. Full review...
Bright Star by Jenny Oldfield
Morgan was just thirteen when she was sent to her aunt's ranch in the Rockies for the summer. It was all a bit alien to her - I mean she was a city girl from Chicago and she was going to have to get on with horses. It's not long though before she realises that she has a real affinity with horses and ponies and develops a special bond with a terrified wild mustang. It's Morgan who rescues the animal when it's trapped in barbed wire and calms it sufficiently to bring it into shelter. Full review...
Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
Harriet Manners is moving to New York. Her head is full of facts about the Big Apple, but will this be enough to allow her to cope with life across the Atlantic. And why does Lion Boy seem so distant? Full review...
Theatre of the Gods by M Suddain
M Francisco Fabrigas – unfortunate Arsenal FC connection aside – is worthy of your attention. For not only has he proven to be one of the longer-lasting humans in this universe, he has also been in other universes. And at the same, other universe's Fabrigas's have come to visit us – or is it the other way round? Either way, he has been engaged in an epic adventure where he ends up on a moon full of toxic plants, and inside dread behemoths, and fought to make his way through various universes against galactic popes and worse, all in the company of two unfortunate young people – a vicious and caring deaf lad who is more or less a kung-fu-powered computer chip, and a caring but blind young female saviour. Both are needed to save the universe – or was it fewer of them, but more universes? This book is the much-sought-after, long-lost, often-censored account of his derring-do, as close to being from the horse's mouth as is possible, and with the sheer complexity of the circumstances and contrivances on every page, we should be grateful. Full review...
Voyage into Limbo by Patricia Watkins
Colwyn Yeats, veteran of the war in Afghanistan and top-class sailor found himself at a loose end over the summer months. A planned research trip fell through when he'd already rented out his apartment. It seemed fortuitous when an acquaintance approached him to skipper himself and two friends across the Atlantic, in aid of a charity. Yeats had his doubts when he realised that his 'crew' weren't kitted out for the trip (flip flops? I mean, honestly!), they didn't appear to get on with each other particularly well and despite what he'd been told they didn't seem to know much about sailing. But - it was only a few weeks, when he'd nothing else to do, wasn't it? Full review...
The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden
Half-sisters Clarissa and Sarah couldn’t lead more different lives. Clarissa is a typical 'Southern Belle'; the apple of her daddy's eye with every whim dutifully indulged. Sarah, the daughter of a slave, lives in a cabin on the plantation with her mother and has been born into a life of servitude. Their father is plantation owner Cornelius Allen, a man prone to violent mood swings: at one moment a benevolent patron, the next, a cruel tyrant. Full review...
