Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast Pillow Book by Bill Richardson

Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast Pillow Book
Bill Richardson
1998, St. Martins' Griffin
0312194404
208 p.

Sequel to the book Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast in which two brothers run a bed and breakfast for bibliophiles. This book is a collection of recipes, gossip and stories of their lives.

Not as good as the original but still I had an enjoyable time with the brothers and their crazy townspeople.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

The Stars' Tennis Balls by Stephen Fry

The Stars' Tennis Balls
Stephen Fry
2001, Arrow Books, London
0099727412
484p.

Ned Maddstone is the son of a politician with the world at his feet. He goes to a great school, is captain of the cricket team and has a wonderful girlfriend. Then he is kidnapped by a group of men and his world is turned upside-down.

I really, really enjoyed this black comedy. Fry is a very good writer - I love his way with words; he uses big words without sounding pretentious (unless that is exactly what he wants to sound like!). And the uber-violence is a nice distraction for when you're at work. lol.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Things You Get For Free by Michael McGirr

Things You Get For Free
Michael McGirr
2000, 2001, Picador, Sydney
0330362275
296p.

Part biography, part travel, part history, Things You Get for Free tells the story of a Jesuit priest and his European holiday with his mother.

I enjoyed this book - McGirr manages to be cynical without being snarky or sarcastic. Reading it was like being told a story while cuddled up in a doona in front of an open fire.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire

The Next Queen of Heaven
Gregory Maguire
2009, Concord Free Press, Concord
9780981782423
296p.

This is a novel published by Concord Free Press who publish books for free consumption on the proviso that the reader makes a donation to a charity of their choice.

Set in Thebes, New York, The Next Queen of Heaven tells the story of a family of misfits, a group of retired nuns and a gay singing group. Their lives entwine in small town life.

This book made me laugh out loud on a number of occasions. Maguire has a way with words. And I enjoyed the story too - it wasn't the tightest telling, but the loose narrative style suited the story.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss

Eats, Shoots and Leaves
Lynne Truss
2003, 2004, Gotham, New York
1592400876
204p.

This is a book about punctuation. Not exactly a style guide, though it does inform the reader of the main conventions of punctuation, it's more of a educated rant from a literate stickler.

I really loved this: it's proof that I'm not the worst grammar or punctuation Nazi around. It also taught me a thing or two I didn't know about the correct use of punctuation, which is fantastic! Now I just have to remember it all and not slip back into old ways.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Chris Riddell
2007, 2008, HarperCollins, New York
9780061448812
171p.

Ottoline is a little girl living with a Norwegian swamp creature in a house full of her parent's strange collections. When a series of robberies and dog disappearances disrupt her neighbourhood, Ottoline decides to investigate.

This is such a clever, cheeky little book. The illustrations are gorgeous and I liked how they were multi-layered. It's a good story too.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

For Rouenna by Sigrid Nunez

For Rouenna
Sigrid Nunez
2001, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York
0374254303
230p.

A writer living in New York starts a friendship with a woman, Rouenna, who wrote to her after reading her novel. Rouenna was a nurse in the Vietnam conflict and tells of her experiences.

I enjoyed this. It was disjointed and odd, but I like it like that. The characters were all brought to life gradually and the stories of the conflict and of life in the Project were heartbreaking.

Link to journal at bookcrossing