A week in France

I spent a week in France attempting to ski, my first time since a rather miserable day spent at Glen Shee on my backside when I was 9.  This time, I was better kitted out - a snazzy helmet lent to me by a friend to avoid nasty bumps - and also with the aid of a dishy instructor.  Amazing how much your concentration is when you have something nice to look at ;)
Apart from the occasional trips to the slopes, there was a lot of hot chocolate drinking and cake eating, affording me plenty of reading time.  I tried to take books with me that were related with France, and which I left with a friend working over there.

First up was  Five Quarters of the Orange.  A widow returns to her childhood home after many years, but doesn't want people to connect the child with the woman.
She lives in a small French village, one which was occupied during WW2, which has bearing on her family's story. The action flicks between the current day and the events leading up to her family's exile.
Boise opens a restaurant, using many of the recipes from her mother's handwritten notes. Along with the recipes are diary-like entries written by her mothers. Boise goes back through these entries to try and find our more about the mother who kept herself locked away from her children emotionally. She also sees herself in her mother's actions. One reason why her mother was distant were the spells she had, normally heralded by the smell of orange, hence the title.
A great blend of recipes, deceit, family problems and the far reaching actions of children. ( )

Next up was The Understudy, a book I found on the Chalet's bookshelf and one I had to read.  I somehow missed this book, having enjoyed Starter for Ten I had wanted to read more of his and was given One Day to read over the summer.
A struggling actor, Stephen, a divorced father of one, is understudy to British hottest new thing, Josh. He hopes that Josh will one day fall off the stage, so he can get his chance at the limelight. This failing is not only in his professional life, but also extends to his personal life, and Stephen's whining does not do him any favours.
This is not a bad book, but it does fall short of the other 2. It's biggest drawback is the main character, Stephen makes you want to slap and tell him to buck up. A good beach read. ( )

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The life and thoughts of Bauby, editor of Elle, who, after suffering a stroke, ends up with Locked-in Syndrome. He is able to think and is aware of what is around him, but his only method of communication is blinking the alphabet, which is how he "wrote" this book.

This could be a depressing book, but actually I felt that it was more about enjoying the life you have or have had.
This is not his biography, though there are many biographical stories, but you can also read his thoughts, as well as his day-to-day life in the hospital. This is hell on earth, being trapped in your body, but understanding evrything going on, but Bauby doesn't come across as bitter.
This is well-written, one of those books that will stay wth you. I also found myself thinking about the people and events in my life that I would write about, which would warrant the tremendous effort. ( )

Always room for a trashy read, Sundays at Tiffany's 

I had no idea that Patterson was branching out into romance!
Jane has an imaginary friend, Matthew, who disappears when she's 9. Fast forward a few years and Jane still remembers him, and Matthew sees her.
This is a beach read, to be fair, if I hadn't been on holiday with a friend who had this and in the mood for some trash, I doubt that this would have been read. It's just too fluffy, a nice idea that wasn't really executed fully. ( )

Luckily, I had more Joanne Harris to keep me amused, Jigs and Reels

This is a collection of short stories from the writer of Chocolat. Having read a lot of her books, I was familiar with the style as well as the setting of some of Harris' stories.
There is something for everyone here, from fantasy to school tales, but the common factor is the human side, their situations and dilemmas.
Those I enjoyed most were the story about the witches' school reunion (Class of '81) because we all still have that schoolkid inside us, and so I could empathise with the pressures of that situation. There was also a great one (Faith and Hope go Shopping) about two old biddies breaking out of an old folk's home to get a pair of shoes. The Last Train to Dogtown was also funny, a very Harris nip in the tale.

A nice touch were the notes that Harris adds to the stories, giving us into where the inspiration comes from. As often happens with short stories, I did want to read more about some of the characters, but the collection did work well as a whole. ( )
 
The White Queen  I have read quite a few of Gregory's books, but was looking forward to reading the first in her new series.
The White Queen is Elizabeth Woodville, a young woman who so charms the young Edward, soon to be King Edward, that he marries her in secret, despite the furore that they know will ensue. Her first husband died on the other side of the lines to her second husband, but Elizabeth has married for love and is determined to safeguard her husband and her family.
There have been other books written about this period, indeed The Secret Alchemy deals with the death of Elizabeth's two sons with Edward in the Tower. Gregory's work is better, it has been well researched and, it seems to me, she enjoys filling in the gaps. The political machinations and family relationships can be dizzying at times, though the family tree at the front helps. I must admit though, that some imagination in terms of names would have been nice - Elizabeth herself has 2 sons named Richard!
An interesting side story in the book is that of Melusine, a river goddess, from whom Woodwille's family claim descendence. Through the book, Gregory includes Melusine's story piece by piece, and also ties in to real life accusations of witchcraft against both Elizabeth and her mother.
Gregory fans will enjoy this, as well as those who would like to know how the Tudors came to rule, and I look forward to reading The Red Queen. ( )

With the bus journey on the way home delayed by the smuggling of one of the drivers, I was happy to have  Pandora  to keep me entertained. I haven't read a Jilly Cooper since school, but soon felt right at home with Pandora. While the family at the centre of the plot are new, there are lots of familiar faces and scenery.
Pandora refers to a painting, one which was taken from a burning chateau in France during WW2. Art dealer Raymond has it on the wall of his home, which he shares with Galena, an emotionally damaged artist. The book follows their life together and that of their 4 children, to the arrival of a girl who claims to be part of the family.
Like the other books in the Rutshire Chronicles, this is a pageturner, you quickly get caught up in the petty squabbles, rivalries, relationships, and of course the sex, the only difference is that here the story centres around the art world.
Any Jilly fan will enjoy this, but it is a stand alone book, so you don't need to have read the others. ( )